The British Olympic Association (BOA) has initiated an investigation surrounding Team GB rugby sevens player Amy Wilson-Hardy allegedly sending a racist message.
Wilson-Hardy has been removed from the team for what the BOA described as “medical reasons.”
An alleged screenshot of a since-deleted conversation was leaked on Instagram, where the England forward sent a photo of her wearing a black facemask on WhatsApp.
The anonymous recipient of the photo wrote, “genuine chocolate face.”
Wilson-Hardy replied, “Thought I’d have a better chance with the blacks.”
“The British Olympic Association has been made aware of an image published on a social media platform and is investigating the matter,” a BOA spokesperson said to The Sun.
The surfacing of the screenshot additionally ignited controversy across social media platforms.
“She can delete the instagram post all she want. It was seen. She’s racist. No apology will change that. Racist to the core of her soul,” one user wrote on X.
Another user countered that Wilson-Hardy may have been referencing the New Zealand All Blacks rugby team, saying, “It’s clear it wasn’t racist, the Blacks she is referring to is New Zealand rugby!”
Hailing from Poole, Dorset, the star-studded athlete debuted for England in 2013. She appeared in Rio 2016 and was rostered on the 2017 Women’s Rugby World Cup squad.
She obtained a bronze medal at the 2018 Commonwealth Games.
The Paris Games marks her second Olympic outing. She started in the quarterfinal clash against the United States on Monday, where her squad fell, 17-7, ending Team GB’s hopes of flourishing in gold.
She’s competed in multiple Six Nations Championships.
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The Sun reported that the 32-year-old is remarked for her swift, agile movement alongside her versatility – whether on the wing or in the middle of the field.
The outlet that she is “regarded as a role model for elevating the profile of women’s rugby in the UK.”