Racism in Aussie sport: Leniu vs Kerr
In recent weeks the news and media have overwhelmed its Australian viewers with the stories of Matildas captain Sam Kerr and NRL player Spencer Leniu and the allegations of racism against them.
Sam Kerr is captain of Matildas and striker for the WSL club Chelsea. Captaining the Matildas since 2019, there is no doubt Kerr is a superstar across the world. She is certainly one of the main role models for young sportspeople in Australia. Kerr is of Indian descent and an advocate against many world issues but most importantly racism. On January 30 last year, Kerr allegedly called a police officer a “stupid white b—–d” after a dispute over a taxi fare.
As these allegations have been made public, there has been an uproar in the media which has led to an argument dividing both the sports world and the Australian population, especially since Kerr is held in such high regard. In 2023 Kerr was voted by The Sydney Morning Herald, The Age and the Wide World of Sports as the most influential woman in Australian sport. She is the captain of our national football team, as well as the face of both Nike and one of the biggest clubs in England.
Kerr’s alleged racial slur has raised ethical and moral questions. Is any comment involving skin colour a racist comment? Sam Kerr is a proven champion for equality. Should we doubt her character based on a single accusation? Only days prior to this incident involving Sam Kerr there was another blow to Australian sport which dominated our headlines.
Is any comment involving skin colour a racist comment?
This was a different year for the NRL as they launched the 2024 season with a bang, hosting two blockbuster games in the heart of Las Vegas – Allegiant Stadium, home to the NFL’s Las Vegas Raiders. Despite the build-up of this event, it was sadly overshadowed by the behaviour of prop, Spencer Leniu.
Leniu was set for an exciting start for the season as he was playing his first game for the Sydney Roosters. However, his season has now taken a turn for the worse as he has copped an eight-match ban by the NRL judiciary for directing a racial slur at the Indigenous Brisbane Broncos player Ezra Mam.
The incident sparked outrage after Mam made an official complaint to the referee during the heated match that Leniu called him a “monkey”. Leniu initially attempted to downplay the comment stating that it was “All fun and games” to Triple M, but later apologised publicly and admitted to using the slur.
The NRL took a strong stance against Leniu’s actions. The eight-match ban is considered one of the harshest penalties handed down for on-field abuse in recent years. NRL CEO Andrew Abdo emphasised the league’s zero-tolerance policy for racial vilification. “The penalty applied tonight underscores the zero-tolerance rugby league has for racism. From this sad event some important lessons can be learned.”
Similarly to the incident involving Sam Kerr, this incident has reignited discussions about racism in Australian sport. Many Indigenous players and commentators expressed disappointment at Leniu and the ongoing occurrence of racial abuse within the NRL.
While Leniu pays the price for his comment, it will be interesting to follow the developments in Sam Kerr’s case to see how this may impact or indeed end her brilliant sporting career.
Harry M, Year 11