Banter or Sexual Assault?

The On-Field Incident That Sparked Debate

Rugby Internationals set an example to millions of viewers. Image taken from here

Something happened during last weekend’s rugby international that made headlines. During an altercation after a breakdown in play, with several players pushing and shoving, England Prop Joe Marler was filmed gently grabbing the crotch of the opposition captain, Alun Wyn Jones. Jones looked to the touch judge for assistance, but he clearly hadn’t seen it.

I spotted it live, and my initial reaction was one of bewilderment before quickly leaving it behind as the game moved on. But after the match the incident stuck with me, and over on Twitter two clear schools of thought began rapidly forming: one considered it to be an hilarious bit of ‘banter’; the other, sexual assault.

‘Banter’ is a word I despise at the best of times, because while it can be used to describe innocent and genuinely funny jokes between friends, it’s often used to excuse offensive or abusive behaviour in the name of humour. This didn’t fall into the same category as dropping the ball behind your back when the opposition are trying to retrieve it for a line-out. It felt weird, pulling me out of the game for a brief second. But I didn’t immediately think of it as sexual assault.

Some people tried to defend it by pointing to the ‘hilarious’ and infamous photo from the late 80s of footballer…