University Of East Anglia Rugby Team Disbanded As Members Attend 'Bad Taste' Party Dressed As Joseph Kony, Gary Speed, Baby P And KKK Extremists

Uni Rugby Team Disbanded After Members Party Dressed As Joseph Kony, Gary Speed, Baby P And KKK Extremists

Source: Mason's

A university rugby team has been shut down after players allegedly dressed up as Ku Klux Klan extremists and late Wales manager Gary Speed for a boozy party.

Members of the University of East Anglia (UEA) Rugby Club also pretended to be Baby P and Ugandan guerrilla group leader Joseph Kony during the post-match bash.

One of the team is said to have taunted a German member of a university hockey team by chanting about German bombers being shot down by the RAF.

Do you think the costumes are offensive, or was it just a bit of fun? Scroll down for our poll

The University of East Anglia Rugby Club has been disbanded after members dressed as Baby P, Klux Klan extremists, late Wales manager Gary Speed and LRA leader Joseph Kony

The club has now been disbanded for a year following allegations of racism and sexism at the party on March 14.

A UEA student, who asked not to be named, told their student paper the Concrete: "The hockey club had a member from Germany and once this was found out, one of the rugby guys proceeded to chant about German bombers being shot down by the RAF and how we won the war.

"This upset our member and we asked them to stop.

"Some of their members were very reasonable and apologised on behalf of those members who had been chanting.

"However, the members who had chanted didn't apologise and asked why we didn't have a sense of humour about the issue."

Complaints were made about the club after the Derby Day 2012 and the Men's 2nd XV game on March 14.

In an open letter to the committee and members of the rugby club, the Union of UEA Students said the club would only be reinstated with "special measures".

It stated: "Following a large number of complaints made against the Union of UEA Students' Men's Rugby Union Club, the management committee of the union has decided, with regret, to suspend all activity of the club with immediate effect.

"The suspension of all activity will last until the start of the 2013/14 academic year.

"The club will then be restarted in the 2013/14 academic year with special measures in place to ensure that the new club does not follow the same path as the current club.

"Complaints against the club included offences of both sexist and racist natures."

Student Union finance officer Rob Bloomer said: "It's not that other clubs don’t behave badly sometimes. It’s just that rugby do it every year and they have had several final warnings.

"While individuals should be punished, it is a club's responsibility to manage their members whilst on club activities, represent the University in a positive light and to ensure that their club is following the rules that the Union and University lay out."

The Union says all members of the club who were at the events will be banned from the Sports Association and from playing sport at UEA, unless the members of the club who were responsible are named in writing by 5pm on March 23.

Members have a chance to appeal the decision within seven days of the release of the letter.

The ban will not affect general rugby playing on campus, the women's team or touch rugby.

It is not the first time the club has been punished for its off-pitch antics. In March 2011 it was stripped of its 7s tournament title after £1,300 worth of damage was caused at the Maid's Head Hotel, Norwich, during their Christmas ball.

Andy Driver, the president of the Men's RFC, told the student newspaper Concrete: "The club does not condone any of the acts we have received complaints about.

"However, we will be appealing, because we feel it would be better to further punish individuals rather than punishing the club as a whole.

"It is some immature, unruly individuals who are putting the club in a bad light. The majority of the club are just guys who enjoy playing rugby.

"Prospective students need to know that this is not what the RFC is about. Our club is extremely diverse; we clearly do not discriminate."

Close

What's Hot