'I think rugby has traditionally been a sport played and watched by middle-class white people'
Bath prop Beno Obano will explore race and class within rugby union as part of a new documentary launching on Amazon Prime Video this month.
Obano says he hopes the programme, which launches on November 26, will help “change the perception” of the sport through a series of interviews with ethnic minority stars, including Maro Itoje, Anthony Watson and Ellis Genge.
Obano said: “I think rugby has traditionally been a sport played and watched by middle-class white people.
“But I’ve been able to benefit in so many ways from rugby and I obviously don’t fit that description.
“With this documentary I want to change the perception of rugby and expose it to more people by telling the stories of non-traditional rugby players in the hope that those spectating and participating in rugby may slowly begin to grow and diversify.”
Obano, who was born in London, has made 91 appearances for Bath and was called up to the England senior squad for the first time in 2018.
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Agree with Wilson B- at best. And that is down to skilled individual players who know how to play the game - not a cohesive squad who know their roles and game plan. For those who claim that takes time to develop, the process is to keep the game plan simple at first and add layers as the squad gels and settles in to the new systems. Lack of progress against the rush D, lack of penetration and innovation in the mid-field, basic skill errors and loose forwards coming second in most big games all still evident in game 14 of the season. Hard to see significant measureable progress.
Go to commentsKeep telling yourself that. The time for a fresh broom is at the beginning - not some "balanced, incremental" (i.e. status quo) transition. All teams establish the way forward at the beginning. This coaching group lacked ideas and courage and the players showed it on the pitch. Backs are only average. Forwards are unbalanced and show good set piece but no domination in traditional AB open play. Unfortunately, Foster - Mark 2. You may be happy with those performances and have some belief in some "cunning plan" but I don't see any evidence of it. Rassie is miles ahead and increasing the gap.
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