July 30, (THEWILL) – British Olympic rugby sevens player, Amy Wilson-Hardy, has withdrawn from competition amid a racism controversy.
The British Olympic Association launched an investigation after an image circulated on social media showing Wilson-Hardy with a blacked-out face and an offensive message.
The 32-year-old athlete was absent from Britain’s match against China at the Stade de France, which ended in a 19-15 victory for the Chinese team. Team GB stated that Wilson-Hardy had been withdrawn on medical grounds and replaced by Abi Burton.
Captain Emma Uren reported that the players were largely unaware of the allegations and were focusing on the tournament. The team has implemented a phone ban to minimise distractions. Coach Ciaran Beattie declined to comment on the situation, emphasising their concentration on the rugby matches.
This controversy adds to the difficulties faced by the GB rugby sevens programme. The men’s team failed to qualify for the Olympics, losing to South Africa in their final qualification match. The women’s team, despite entering the competition with medal aspirations, was eliminated in the quarterfinals after a 17-7 loss to the United States.
The defeat against China means Britain will now compete for seventh place against Ireland. The match against China was notable for a crucial error by Isla Norman-Bell, who inadvertently gave the Chinese team a penalty opportunity by throwing the ball into touch. Hu Yu capitalised on this mistake, scoring in injury time to claim the win for China.
Jude Obafemi is a versatile senior Correspondent at THEWILL Newspapers, excelling in sourcing, researching, and delivering sports news stories for both print and digital publications.
