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Racist abuse by SA rugby fans
02/04/2007 16:56 - (SA)
Johannesburg - Drunken South African fans hurled racist abuse at Sevens rugby coach Paul Treu after his side lost against Samoa in the Hong Kong Sevens, the Daily News reported on Monday.
Its website said the fans were apparently angry because only one white player was in the starting line-up for the semi-final match.
They shouted insults at the coach during his post-match interview with David van der Sandt on the touchline.
When Van der Sandt appealed to the pair of middle-aged whites to show respect to Treu, he was threatened with violence and called a "kafferboetie".
Then, as the disconsolate Treu made his way down the tunnel, the drunken fans spat at him.
Van der Sandt filmed the culprits and they might yet have to answer for their abuse of Treu.
Up until the semi-final, the SA team had seemed on course for their first title in Hong Kong.
They performed well in the pool games and in their quarter-final victory over Tonga, landing a favourable semi-final draw.
But against Samoa the South Africans faltered. On three occasions a player dropped a pass when he had a free run to the tryline.
Samoa won 10-0 and went on to beat Fiji in the final.
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