Rugby World Cup: No punishment after Twitter rant

Eliota Fuimaono-Sapolu won't face disciplinary action for his tweets protesting against the IRB's treatment of 'tier two' teams. Photo / Getty Images

Samoa centre Eliota Fuimaono-Sapolu has escaped any punishment from Rugby World Cup organisers after he apologised for tweets said to have compared his team's scheduling treatment to the Holocaust, slavery and apartheid.

Rugby World Cup Limited said in a statement on Tuesday that it considered the Twitter comments "inappropriate" and warned the Samoa Rugby Union on future social media conduct.

The statement added: "RWCL has accepted an official apology and is satisfied with the proactive measures that the union has outlined to RWCL to address the matter."

The BBC reported yesterday that Fuimaono-Sapolu had compared the treatment of his team to slavery, apartheid and the Holocaust, but any such tweets appeared to have been deleted by last night.

Fuimaono-Sapolu, who has appeared as a replacement in both of Samoa's matches, brushed aside the controversy. Comparing what he'd done to the recent antics of some England players, he wrote:

"its not like I was throwing dwarfs around lol."

Two tiers of treatment

Fuimaono-Sapolu fired shot after shot at the International Rugby Board from his Twitter account before and after his team's loss to Wales on Sunday night.

Paramount among the Samoan centre's concerns was the lengthier breaks between games that wealthier "tier one" teams enjoyed.

"Stop exploiting my people," he wrote in a tweet directed to the IRB after the Wales match.

"If they get a week, give us a week. Simple."

The Welsh waited a full week to play again after their near-miss against South Africa on September 11, while Samoa were forced to back up only days after dispatching Namibia on September 14.

"The most important game in our history and we get three days off while our opponents get a week," he tweeted the day after the Nambia match.

"Who's the genius behind this s**t?"

- NZHERALD ONLINE, AP