Two days after captain Pablo Matera and two other players were banned from racist social media posts, the Argentine Rugby Union (UAR) reversed its decision.
Important points:
- Pablo Matera, Guido Petti and Santiago Socino were suspended after old social media posts resurfaced
- Neither player was named to play the Wallabies on Saturday night
- The UAR said the suspensions were lifted after players apologized
Flanker Matera was robbed of the captain and suspended along with Castle Guido Petti and hooker Santiago Socino on Tuesday over comments published between 2011 and 2013 that belittle blacks and people from other South American nations.
Among Matera’s tweets were comments about how he ran over black people in his car and celebrated leaving South Africa because it was “full of blacks”.
“The Argentine Rugby Union strongly opposes the discriminatory and xenophobic comments posted on social media by members of the Los Pumas team,” it said in an initial statement.
Since then, the players have apologized, according to UAR, and along with their good behavior over the years since the comments were posted, the Board of Directors has lifted the ban.
“The preventive measures are unnecessary so we decided to lift the three players’ ban and put the captain back in Pablo Matera,” said a statement.
Despite being reinstated, Matera, Petti and Socino were not named to face the Wallabies in the Tri-Nations final game on Saturday at Parramatta Stadium. Center Jeronimo de la Fuente was appointed captain.
Coach Mario Ledesma said the reinstatement was agreed with UAR to protect the players after having been subjected to “a lot of hatred” in recent days.
“All I can say about these three good players and great men is that they are great people,” he said at a press conference in Sydney.
“They have suffered a lot this week, their families have suffered a lot this week and it is really sad to see. Obviously they acknowledge what they have done and they are genuinely sorry and ashamed of what they have done and we all are. “”
“He’s still the captain”
The UAR said the players have shown themselves to be “people with set values who are worth being part of our team”.
According to reports in Argentina, the UAR reversal was the result of protests from past and current players and clubs in the country.
The storm over historic social media posts followed criticism of the team for not having done enough to mark the recent death of Argentine soccer star Diego Maradona prior to losing to New Zealand last week.
Matera later apologized for the omission, and the posts’ discovery ended a coup de grace for the flanker, who was lauded around the world last month for leading the Pumas to their first Test win over the All Blacks.
Ledesma said players have changed in the years since the social media posts were made, which the UAR described as “unwise and immature”.
“I can tell that they are not the same people they were when they were 17, 18,” Ledesma said.
“Pablo won’t play this game, but he’s still the captain.”
Reuters
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