Wakefield Trinity staff receive death threats as Michael Carter questions his future involvement

Got something to discuss about RL in general? Then this is the place to post it.
Post Reply
josie andrews
Posts: 35573
Joined: Sun Jun 10, 2007 10:17 pm
Location: Wigan
Contact:

Wakefield Trinity staff receive death threats as Michael Carter questions his future involvement

Post by josie andrews »

Wakefield Trinity chief executive Michael Carter has admitted he has considered whether to continue on his involvement in the sport after revealing members of his staff have been sent death threats in recent weeks.

Trinity, along with all other Super League clubs, took part in a multi-sport social media blackout at the weekend, in an attempt to tackle various forms of discrimination and online abuse.

And Carter revealed to Rugby League Live that he is now unsure of whether he wants to remain involved in rugby league after witnessing some of his staff being subjected to death threats following their poor start to the new Super League season.

“I wholeheartedly agree with the stance taken by major sporting organisations in the last week regarding social media,” he told Rugby League Live.

While clearly it impacts the 99 per cent of people that do not post or tolerate online abuse, hopefully this is the first step in either holding social media outlets to account, or getting those that can debate in an adult manner to call out those who wish to hurl abuse in any direction.

“The final straw for me was being sent a screenshot of a post in which a male adult, who clearly has a very young family, ‘hoping’ that a member of my staff ‘dies’. Rugby League is a game. It’s not life and death. And this particular unpleasant situation had me questioning whether I wanted to carry on being involved in professional sport.”

Carter has also called on social media platforms to carry more responsibility in order to stamp out online abuse like he has had to deal with in recent weeks.

"There should be greater powers to deal with individuals that post abhorrent abusive messages,” he insisted. “Every individual is entitled to post their opinion, and as long as it is done in an adult and constructive manner, I have no issue with that.

But a lot of posts these days cross the line by a wide margin. If that’s what social media brings to the sport these days, I want no part of that, and no individual should have to endure the levels of abuse I have seen recently.”

https://www.examinerlive.co.uk/sport/ru ... dium=email
Anyone can support a team when it is winning, that takes no courage.
But to stand behind a team, to defend a team when it is down and really needs you,
that takes a lot of courage. #18thMan
Post Reply