Keep your nose out of sport, Sharks boss tells minister

Sports Minister Nathi Mthethwa should not interfere with his team or their decisions, Sale Sharks director of rugby Steve Diamond said, hitting out in defence of his players.

Dubbed the “Sale 8”, Diamond believed the decision by eight SA players (including seven Springboks) to remain standing when team-mates took the knee ahead of recent English Premiership match did not indicate that they did not support the Black Lives Matter movement.

The players included Sale captain Jono Ross, flyhalf Robert du Preez, scrumhalf Faf de Klerk, prop Coenie Oosthuizen, hooker Akker van der Merwe, lock Jeanluc du Preez, fellow lock Loos de Jager and No 8 Dan du Preez.

“If the SA sports minister is anything like the UK sports minister, he should concentrate on his own job and do what’s right there and not get involved in other areas,” Diamond told Rugby on BT Sport.

Mthethwa faced widespread criticism after he apparently instructed the SA Rugby Union to seek clarity on why the eight Sale players did not take a knee in their first match against Harlequins, after top-flight rugby resumed in England.

The same players remained standing ahead of their fixture against the Exeter Chiefs at the weekend. Mthethwa did, however, note that they had all been wearing T-shirts in support of the Rugby Against Racism (RAR) campaign.

Joining the call to allow players to express their views in their own way, Diamond felt rugby in the United Kingdom had done enough to show its support through the RAR campaign.

“Sport across the world has shown its faith and commitment to Blacks Live Matter, whether it’s by wearing a T-shirt of whether it’s taking a knee,” he said.

“I don’t think the politicians should get involved. They normally make a mess of things when they do, so just leave it to us and leave it to the lads, and let them have their own opinion.”

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