Indigenous rugby star banned after calling Queen a ‘dumb dog’

She has divided opinion

Australian rugby player, Caitlin Moran, has found herself in hot water and under investigation by the NRL (National Rugby League) Integrity Unit after sparking backlash with a post discussing the death of the Queen on social media.

The Indigenous All Star, who has also represented Australia and NSW, sent shockwaves around the world in a since-deleted Instagram post, writing: ‘Todays a good f***ing day, uncle Luke (country singer Luke Coombs) announces his tour, and this dumb dog (Queen Elizabeth) dies. Happy f***ing Friday”.

Following an investigation, the NRL announced they planned on banning Moran for one match, which equates to one-sixth of the NRLW season.

Queen Elizabeth II died peacefully last Thursday in the UK, but it was Friday morning in Australia.

Moran deleted the story from her Instagram roughly eight hours after it was posted.

Radio host Ray Hadley was left furious about the decision to allow Moran to play, telling radio station 4BC he had ‘agonised’ over the decision to discuss the post on air.

“It’s perhaps the most reprehensible thing I’ve ever seen connected to rugby league,” Hadley said.

“If she plays tomorrow it will be a disgrace of monumental proportions.”

“The NRL became aware of the post on Friday 9 September,” an NRL spokesperson said at the time. “The Newcastle Knights were contacted immediately and enquiries commenced by the NRL Integrity Unit.”

But not everyone was upset by the remark. Newcastle (Australia) rugby coach Ronald Griffiths, who is also Indigenous, defended the star amidst the backlash.

“I wasn’t worried,” he said.

“The relationship between Indigenous people and the monarchy is a complicated one. If Caitlin has done something then it will be investigated by the Integrity Unit and we’ll work our way through the process.”

He added: “We’re talking a little bit of negativity with Caitlin, but if we look at we’re she’s come from, in 2017 she wins us the World Cup and does her knee the year after and has probably in the wilderness since then.

‘Those are the sort of things we need to look at and celebrate. We believe she’s gone from strength to strength,” said Griffiths.

Moran is not alone, in the days following Her Majesty’s death a few public figures have pointed out the complicated history of the British Empire and the commonwealth.

Indie rock star Phoebe Bridgers also chipped in with a post first shared on the account of RISEindigenous, an Indigenous artist initiative.

It read: “Today we mourn all the stolen, violated, and traumatised lives who were affected and destroyed during Queen Elizabeth II’s reign.

“Today is a brutal reminder that war criminals will be honoured while entire populations and societies bear the battle scars of colonial genocidal violence, invasion, religious persecution, and white supremacy.”

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