SYDNEY : The coach of the South Sydney Rabbitohs has called for life bans for fans who racially abuse players in Australia's National Rugby League (NRL) after the club said star player Latrell Mitchell was the subject of vilification on Thursday.
The Indigenous fullback, great nephew of tennis great Evonne Goolagong, was abused by a fan as he left the pitch at halftime of South Sydney's match against NRL champions the Penrith Panthers on Thursday evening, the club said.
The incident comes five years after another Indigenous rugby league great, Greg Inglis, was racially abused by fans while playing for the Rabbitohs at the same Penrith Stadium. "It's not the first time we've come here as a club and our players have been racially abused.
Like where does it end? It's just not on," coach Jason Demetriou said in his news conference after a 16-10 defeat."I shouldn't have to be able to come here as a coach and lead a team for players to be abused.