England rugby captain Jamie George has issued a stark warning ahead of Saturday’s clash with Argentina, stating he would consider leading his team off the pitch if there is a repeat of the racial abuse that marred their last encounter in the country.
The threat comes after forwards Asher Opoku-Fordjour and Chandler Cunningham-South were subjected to racist taunts from a small section of fans while warming up during England’s 22-17 victory in San Juan a year ago.
A subsequent World Rugby investigation confirmed that an act of racial discrimination had occurred, with the Argentine Rugby Union providing assurances that it was an isolated incident.
However, George insists England are prepared to take decisive action should a similar situation unfold at the Estadio Unico Madre de Ciudades.
“It’s something being considered,” the captain affirmed. “If anything like that happened then it deserves the strongest of reactions. There is no place for that in the world and I feel incredibly strongly about that.”
He added that discussions have taken place within the squad regarding potential responses.
“We’ve had discussions around ‘what if?’,” George explained. “I really hope – and I’m optimistic – that the Argentinian Rugby Union has taken it very seriously. At the same time we’ve got a plan B if that doesn’t happen.
“The first thing we’d do is make the referee aware of what we’ve seen so it can be properly logged and all the protocols can go into play. What we do outside of that we’re still deciding.”
George is actively consulting with mixed-heritage members of the squad, including Opoku-Fordjour, who is named on the bench for the upcoming match.
Reflecting on the previous incident, George said: “It’s something I will remember for the rest of my life when I heard what had happened – and it wasn’t directed at me. It was directed at my team-mates and I care about my team-mates more than anything.”
He emphasised the collaborative nature of the decision-making process: “I will continue to have conversations with a select group of players from different ethnic backgrounds and we will come up with a plan. Asher’s obviously aware of what’s coming and he’s had conversations with a few of the other guys. I’m going to him because this isn’t just my call to make – the abuse wasn’t aimed at me.”
The upcoming fixture adds another chapter to an increasingly intense rivalry between the two nations. England have maintained a perfect record against Argentina under Steve Borthwick, winning all five encounters, including a heated clash at Allianz Stadium in November that saw flanker Tom Curry involved in a tunnel altercation with Pumas coach Felipe Contepomi.
George acknowledged the fierce competition: “It’s a big rivalry now. We look at Argentina on the calendar whenever the fixtures come out and we know it will be a special occasion.”
“On the field we’re very aware that when we play Argentina they’re an incredibly proud nation and it’s going to be hostile. They’re going to be desperate to win, especially on their own turf.”
