‘Go Back’: Kiwi-Indian U-13 Players Say Referee Was Racist

An Auckland football association has launched an investigation following claims that several under-13 players were subjected to a racist remark by an adult referee during a recent match.

The alleged incident took place during a Northern Region Football (NRF) competition game in South Auckland on Saturday, where two under-13 teams clashed. Tensions flared when one of the teams disagreed with several decisions made by the referee.

According to a player who spoke to the Herald, the referee allegedly told them and their parents to “go back to wherever you guys come from”. Another player was reportedly told, “shut up and go back to wherever you’re from, you Indian,” as recounted by his father, who wished to remain anonymous.

The father said the team, made up mostly of New Zealand-born children with immigrant parents, was shocked by the remarks. “The boys are used to not being allowed to talk back to the ref because they will get kicked from the field. They weren’t given a chance to speak up because they kept getting shut down,” he said.

While acknowledging that players should not argue with referees, the father stressed that there should be limits on what officials can say. Several parents in an online group confirmed that their sons had heard similar remarks multiple times during the match. The parents have filed an official complaint with their club and lodged it with the NRF board.

The father also expressed concern about the lasting impact of these incidents, noting that many of the boys had previously faced rejection for “looking different from other players.” He worried that the boys might normalise such behavior and remain silent. Some players are now considering quitting the sport ahead of the new season.

One of the clubs involved acknowledged the allegations in a statement, confirming an investigation had begun. 

The other club involved also submitted an incident report to NRF and is awaiting the governing body’s findings.

The Indian Weekender reached out to Labour’s spokesperson for Ethnic Communities Jenny Salesa to understand the gravity of the matter.

”1 in 5 people in Tāmaki Makaurau, Auckland is an Ethnic New Zealander.  We should endeavour to build a community where all our children, no matter their heritage, feel valued and accepted,” Salesa says.

She also emphasised that sports is an area where children and young people should feel safe, supported and celebrated for their talents regardless of their ethnic background or where their parents or grand-parents may have been born

“Racist and targeted comments such as these are completely unacceptable and should not be tolerated in any form,” Salesa adds.

NRF CEO Laura Menzies confirmed that the incident report has been received, and an investigation will be initiated by the Disciplinary Committee.

Menzies told The Indian Weekender over email that “there’s absolutely no place for racism or discrimination in our competitions – football is a game where everyone should feel supported and safe.”

“We know clubs don’t stand for this either and volunteers do great work to set expectations of what’s acceptable and make sure everyone is safe and supported in their environments,” she further stated.