Cherif Traore yesterday accused his teammates of racism after they gave him a “rotten banana” during a Secret Santa anonymous gift exchange.
The Italy prop wrote on Instagram: “Apart from finding it an offensive gesture, what hurt me the most was to see that most of my teammates who were present were laughing. As if it was all normal,”
In a statement, Benetton Rugby said they have “always condemned with the utmost firmness any expression of racism and/or form of discrimination.”
The incident involving Traore “has nothing to do with sport” and the club said it will always stand for “respecting people, their culture, their ethnicity, their faith and their dignity.”
However, the Italian club published a video message from Traore, who deleted his Instagram post, on Wednesday evening, with the caption:
How many times does it happen to make a mistake or offend a member of one’s family, many. Well, this time it happened inside ours. Now what matters is having understood the mistake and apologizing. We are a family and as such we will move forward, together, always.
In a tweet on Thursday morning, Genge said:
“No well done, absolutely right, “gifting” a “team mate” a rotten banana for secret Santa is not a big deal and a simple apology will suffice!
“If there is no further action on this from Benetton then everything we’ve done for “rugby against racism” has been a tick box for most.”
The 30 best rugby nicknames of all-time have been ranked
#30. Lewis Moody – Mad Dog
A nickname that perfectly summed up its recipient’s approach to the game.
#29. David Pocock – Bam Bam
Pocock was regarded as one of the top physical specimens in the game, earning this Flintstones-related nickname.
#28. Jerry Collins – The Terminator
The Terminator: “I’ll be back” wasn’t something you wanted to hear from Jerry Collins once he’d tackled you, because once was enough for anyone. The All Black flanker terminated so many attacks in his time.
#27. Austin Healey – Leicester Lip
It’s his outspoken nature and often controversial comments that has seen former Tigers favourite Austin Healy so dubbed. He’s become someone who has particularly raised the hackles of Welsh fans.
#26. Martin Johnson – Ferengi
Not the most flattering of nicknames. It was England captains furrowed brow frown that saw the England and Lions skipper likened to the extraterrestrial race from the Star Trek universe.
#25. Liam Williams – Sanjay
It was while he was on holiday in Greece as a small boy that another British family reckoned the Saracens-bound star looked like Sanjay Kapoor, the former market trader from Eastenders! The name stuck.
#24. Jason Robinson – Billy Whizz
Robinson is nicknamed ‘Billy Whizz’ after a character in the British comic The Beano, who is an extremely fast runner. Seems a good choice!
#23. Robbie Henshaw – One man band
His musical and sporting versatility have earned him the nickname “One Man Band” and “Old Man Bob Henshaw” amongst his teammates. His family has a lot of musical talent, with Henshaw himself playing the accordion, fiddle, guitar and piano.
#22. Elliot Daly – Briefcase
The England star got his nickname after turned up at his first Wasps training session in his Whitgift school uniform and carrying you know what!
#21. Jonathan Davies – Fox
With his parents having run the Fox & Hounds pub in Bancyfelin, Wales centre Jonathan Davies was destined to be known as Fox. Inevitably, his younger brother James is the Cub!