The Art of the Australian Insult

“Our security approached the four men of Middle Eastern appearance but none of them admitted to any racial abuse…But we have since heard from some of our season ticket holders that they were the ones calling Petero a monkey.”

Paramatta chief executive Denis Fitzgerald, commenting on attempts to locate the fans who racially abused Panthers player Petero Civoniceva during a match on Sunday. Civoniceva knocked beer onto the fans after they called him a monkey and said “get back in your tree” but subsequently apologised for reacting angrily while there were children watching. Civoniceva is of Fijian origin.