APRIL 2021 • ISSUE NO. 1917
Lifestyle ING WHAT THE NFT IS GO
ON HERE?
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LEST WE FORGET
Brixton ‘Operation Swamp 81’ Stephen Lawrence Day Riots or an uprising April 22
40 years ago it sent shockwaves that still reverberate in policing and race relations
See page 3
A seminal case in Britain’s history of race relations Has anything changed? See page 4
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4 | THE VOICE APRIL 2021
News feature
Criminal justice system is still dominated by colour T
Nearly 30 years after Stephen Lawrence’s murder in Eltham, Terence Channer looks back on his legacy and asks what has really changed since the Macpherson report
HE MURDER of Stephen Lawrence and the subsequent Metropolitan Police investigation is a seminal case in Britain’s history of race relations. The case has been of such profound cultural and political significance, not because Stephen was murdered by cowardly white racist thugs, but because the police, the first layer of the criminal justice system, sought to murder Lady Justice; the very justice that Stephen, his family and the wider black community depended on to right such a heinous wrong. The case that saw the police creating roadblocks to the path to justice has loomed large on the UK landscape like a giant black monolith. Stephen was a model citizen By all accounts, Stephen was a model son, brother, friend and citizen, with a very bright future, when on that fateful day (April 22, 1993), he was snatched from this world in a totally unprovoked, ghastly, racist attack that was to send reverberations throughout the UK criminal justice system and in particular policing. I have passed on countless occasions the spot in Eltham, south-east London (a five-minute drive from my home), where Stephen fell mortally wounded. Each time in the 1990s and early 2000s bar one, I have driven by and literally felt as if I was driving in a Jeep on a safari; “Do not exit your cars
The feeling of fear, that this was an extremely racist area, would be to put one’s own life at risk and ensure that your doors and windows are locked/closed”. The feeling of fear, that this was an extremely racist area, where to tread the path that Stephen trod, would be to put one’s own black life at risk. Twenty-eight years later and that feeling, that Well Hall Road is a no-go area, has failed to completely dissipate. The one occasion that I did stop to get out of my car on this infamous stretch of highway (A208), was to gaze poignantly at the memorial marking the spot where Stephen fell as he lay desperately clinging on to the last vestiges of life, no doubt yearning for his mother. They say that dying soldiers who fought closely in hand to hand combat in the world wars called for their mothers — George Floyd called out for his late mother “Momma! Momma!” as his life force was murderously pressed and racially put out. For decades black people had been treated as second-class citizens in relation to essential services; housing, healthcare, employment, education and criminal justice. Stephen’s
death came less than a decade after the enactment of the Police and Criminal Evidence Act 1984. The Act sought amongst other aims to address racist policing and usher in a new era of police accountability and transparency by sweeping aside the infamous sus laws that had so effectively persecuted young black men, thereby largely contributing to the 1981 UK inner city riots. It’s a shame that it often takes death and destruction for meaningful change to occur. However, there remained a feeling within the Metropolitan Police (and other police forces) that black victims of crime were not deserving of the same respect, duty of care, investigative integrity and diligence afforded to white victims. Furthermore, the police spying on the Lawrence family and their team’s efforts to hold the racist police investigation to account was egregious and utterly deplorably unforgivable. I can imagine around that time, when news of the police misconduct reached the Lawrence family, their campaign team and the wider black community, frustration and anger laden conversations taking place up and down the country in black spheres, along the lines of: “Don’t they think that black people matter?!” “Don’t the lives of black people matter?!” “They just don’t care about black people!” “But black lives matter!” Sir William Macpherson in his 389-page February 1999 report on The Stephen Lawrence Inquiry concluded that the Met Police was “institutionally racist”. It was a term that Sir William noted had been used in the writings of two black activists, Charles Hamilton and Stokely Carmichael (Black Power: the Politics of Liberation in America, Penguin Books, 1967, pages 20-21).
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The term has become common parlance. The Macpherson report told us black people what we had known and had been saying all along. We did not need a public inquiry or Sir William, pictured inset, to tell us that, but we sure welcomed it. Others didn’t. What has changed since Macpherson? The current Met Police Commissioner Cressida Dick refuses to accept that her force remains institutionally racist. The statistics on stop and search and use of force don’t lie; I am not going to rehearse them. I am tired. The fact that black police officers are twice more likely to be disciplined than white police officers is instructive; even when black people join the ranks as officers we are subjected to racist disciplinary ‘policing’. Now let’s get this straight; there aren’t institutions without people, people make institutions, people drive institutions. If an institution is devoid of people, i.e. human activity, then it is dead. If the statistics of an institution on stop and search, use of force and deaths in custody disproportionately adversely affect black people, then the institution can fairly and reasonably be deemed institutionally racist. Stephen’s Legacy Part of Stephen’s legacy is that his case was directly responsible for a significant change in the rule against double jeopardy. This led to two of the accused being retried and convicted of his murder in 2012. I’m not going to say that Stephen was destined to become a cause célèbre, as that would be to undermine his horrific and brutal slaying. In fact, I don’t think it would be irreverent of me to say that I wish I’d never heard of Stephen and the Lawrence family. I would rather he were still here, a 46-year-old,
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NEVER FORGOTTEN: Stephen Lawrence was killed by racist thugs in 1993 – but has anything changed in almost 30 years? quietly thriving, fulfilling his God-given potential as a fine upstanding black man, maybe a husband and father. I know his family would agree. I can imagine passing him near the fruit aisle in Tesco Lewisham, just another regular black brother doing the midday Saturday shopping with his family. I imagine his wife calling his mother Doreen and saying, “Mummy can I get you anything?” You see, life is predominately about enjoying the seemingly mundane, the right to have many uneventful yet enjoyable similar days that melt effortlessly from one day to the next, with the occasional excitement, hiccup and surmountable challenge. It is also about the right to life and the confidence and assurance that if this inalienable right is in any way jeopardised, the wheels of a well-oiled colour-blind criminal justice system will be set in motion. Stephen and his family were
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terribly failed by a criminal justice system that viewed them through the prism of race. Physics was one of my favourite subjects at school. One of the abiding exercises was the refraction of light through a prism. I marvelled at how the prism split light into the seven colours of the rainbow by dispersion as the light exited the prism. However, the criminal justice system was not intended to refract and then dispense justice; it was not intended to separate or distinguish colour. That in essence is the Stephen Lawrence story — it highlighted the perverse effects of the colour of criminal justice. Terence Channer is a
consultant solicitor at
Scott-Moncrieff & Associates LLP which specialises in police misconduct, injury and healthcare
law. He is a passionate anti-racism advocate and dedicates much of his time in this area.
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FEBRUARY 2021
THE VOICE| 5
Give your family the gift of certainty about organ donation The choice about whether to become an organ donor Abiola says: will always be a personal decision. It’s important that as a family you talk about organ donation and whether you’d want to be a donor. That way, if your family are ever involved in discussions about organ donation, they will have the certainty they need to support your decision at a difficult time.
More people from Black backgrounds are receiving transplants than ever before, but Black patients will still wait up to a year longer than white patients for a transplant. Although people can receive a transplant from someone of any ethnicity, the best match will often come from a donor of the same ethnicity. Hair to donate is a community investment project (CIS) set up by Abiola Okubanjo and funded by NHS Blood and Transplant. The project aims to train hairstylists and barbers in black hair salons across London and Essex as ambassadors so they can discuss organ donation with their customers and encourage them to talk to their families.
“Conditions that make people more likely to need an organ transplant – like high blood pressure, diabetes and hepatitis – are more prevalent in our community than in others.
Whilst Black people with these conditions can receive organs from white donors, the best Abiola match will usually come from someone with the same ethnic background – so another Black person. If more Black people consider organ donation, more Black patients will get organs and more Black patients will survive. It’s that simple. The ability to turn this situation around lies with us. WE – the Black community – are the solution to THIS problem.” Donating organs and tissue in line with personal faith and values is important to many people. To ensure your faith and beliefs are respected and discussed with your family, you have the opportunity to give details on them when registering a decision to donate on the NHS Organ Donor Register.
Lloyd Dalton Brown, said yes when asked about organ donation after his sister, Jane, died after being knocked down while crossing the road.
Jane
“It is something positive for your loved ones to hold onto, which I personally do after my sister donated. I think that it is more important than ever to tell your closest family what your decision would be in regards to organ donation, as they could be asked and therefore if they know in advance they would know what was wanted.”
Visit organdonation.nhs.uk
“ None of us knew how each other felt, until we’d talked about it as a family.” Let’s give the people we love, the certainty they need. Talk to your loved ones about organ donation.
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32 | THE VOICE APRIL 2021
News
The black girls taking a hike Exhausted by the narrative that hiking is a white person’s hobby, Rhiane Fatinikun decided to found Black Girls Hike for women of colour
B
LACK GIRLS HIKE UK C.I.C are on a mission to diversify the outdoors, creating safe spaces for black women to have an adventure and be their authentic selves. Founded in 2019 in Manchester, they now have chapters in the Midlands and London and plans to expand post-lockdown. We spoke to some of their members about the positive impact Black Girls Hike has had on their lives. Rhiane Fatinikun (founder) Nature has always nurtured us as people, we are the natural world and that’s why we thrive in it, yet so many of us are disconnected. I founded Black Girls Hike UK in January 2019 to create a safe space for black women to explore the outdoors and reconnect with nature. We’re challenging the status quo: the lack of inclusivity and representation of black women in the outdoors. The outdoors is for everyone, and it’s important we are visible in these spaces. We are so far removed from our ancestral ways, we used to have a deeper connection to the earth. Walking in nature isn’t just great for our physical and mental health, it enhances our lives in so many other ways. Our aim is to develop services and projects that will increase the participation of our community in the outdoors, so
We’re challenging the status quo – the outdoors is for everyone, and it’s important we are visible we can all reap the benefits. We’ve recently become a nonprofit and prior to lockdown we hosted monthly group hikes, outdoor activity days and training events. Davina Webb (member) I became aware of Black Girls Hike in 2019 when another group I was in, Manchester Black Professionals, joined them for a hike. Although I could not make the event, I joined the WhatsApp group and started interacting with Rhiane on social media. I finally attended my first hike in November 2019 and immediately felt at home. From that first hike, the women took me into their fold as if I were an old school friend and the combination of sisterhood, fresh air, beautiful views, and often challenging but
LIVING THEIR BEST LIFE: Clockwise, from left, founder Rhiane Fatinikun, left, says we should connect more with the outside world; Colleen Williams enjoying a hike in the Shropshire Hills; Davina Webb gets stuck in during a trip to Rivington, Bolton achievable exercise really gave me a new lease on life when I most needed it. Since joining BGH I have tried rock climbing, gorge walking (wading through a cold stream), abseiling and caving as well as having had the privilege of getting to know wonderful women and make lifetime friendships. I don’t think I would have had the confidence or inclination to try any of these activities if this group did not exist.
ROCK AND ROLL: Left, Nicole Hill on top of the world at Baslow Edge in the Peak District, and right, Black Girls Hike does more than just walking, as this abseiling adventure shows
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Having a peer group you feel at home with that encourages you to try new things and get out of your comfort zone is priceless. Colleen Williams (member) As a member of Black Girls Hike in the Midlands, I’ve really enjoyed having an opportunity to partake in outdoor group activities, combining exercise and an opportunity to socialise with like-minded women. Outdoor exercise has been proven to have many physical and mental benefits, increasing blood flow, strength, flexibility and endurance, whilst also providing exposure to natural light and vitamin D – vital for our wellbeing, even on the cloudiest days. Whether it’s a steep hike or a gentle stroll around the local park, outdoor exercise provides a great chance to connect with nature and from my experience, a natural lift to energy levels for the rest of the day. I actively encourage others to take up walking and to enjoy the benefits, especially as we finally start to experience milder weather in the UK.
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Josephine Hall (member) Walking and spending time outside in nature allows me to really breathe – fully and deeply. Big views, fresh air, the changing light of the sky – all help me feel like I am a part of the world. I grew up in Cornwall and was lucky to have beautiful nature on my doorstep to explore. I now live in Brighton and, again, feel very lucky to be surrounded by the South Downs National Park as well as being by the coast. Through the turbulence of the last year, long walks have helped me to work through difficult times and making an effort to see the sunset is always a soothing bookend to the day. Getting outdoors supports me in a similar way as spending time with other black women does, so combining the two by getting involved with BGH is a dream come true – I didn’t realise how much I needed it until it happened! It’s such a refreshing breather from the white noise of general life. We can talk, walk, laugh and breathe freely.
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Nicole Hill (member) I’ve enjoyed hiking and all things outdoors since I was a child. My parents started taking us caravanning pretty much every weekend since I was six and we were the only black family at the campsites. It’s only as I got older that I really became aware of the distinct lack of diversity in the outdoors in general. While taking part in activities I am aware of the lack of black and minority ethnic groups, I also notice the stares and the person who tries to sneak a photo because they are so surprised to see a black person! Groups like Black Girls Hike are important; providing a network of like-minded individuals who provide peer support which makes the experience more enjoyable and rewarding. For me, being outdoors is great for my mental health. It is freedom; relaxing, taking in the scenery and appreciating the natural beauty, and during these uncertain times it has helped me tremendously to relieve stress and boost my self-esteem.
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APRIL 2021 THE VOICE | 33
News
Barber shop blues will soon be gone S
We’re all desperate for a cut but salons also play a key role in our sense of identity, says Mayi Hughes
ALONS AND barber shops, to me, have always been great symbols of community. Come rain or shine, winter or summer, early mornings or sleepy evenings, salons are a place of liveliness. Jamaican patois bounces off the walls, hushed Yoruba gossip fills the air, and jokes in pigeon English warm the room. Diasporan Africans and immigrants alike intermingle in a space which co-exists as both a hairdressers and an open stage. Confined to a chair for hours while your hair is intricately braided and woven, stories flow as storytellers are born. Some of the greatest lessons I’ve learned about myself and my identity
have taken place in warm salon parlour seats, tucked away in the busy streets of London. Salons have always been a place of togetherness for black individuals in Britain. Despite the Equality Act of 2010 formally protecting against hair discrimination, stories of school and workplace discrimination show that black hairstyles are still heavily politicised. The law has not helped change the beliefs held by several employers that black hairstyles are unprofessional and inappropriate. This discrimination against black hair, which has historical roots predating colonialism and slavery, means that black hair is intrinsic to the black
identity. Hair, especially for women, is such an important expression of self. How you decide to wear your hair can hold a meaning beyond just aesthetics, thus hairdressers are a well-frequented and significant spot.
CLOSURE
The COVID pandemic has hit the beauty and hair sector particularly hard, with up to £124 million per week in lost income as a result of the closure of physical stores. This economic loss has been significant for business owners, however on the other end of the spectrum is the loss of the customers. Black customers have lost not only a salon but also a com-
munity. These physical closures have also caused an intangible loss of belonging and identity. Employees at the newly founded Curl Bar London, situated in Crouch End, shared their views on the importance of hair, and how it impacts identity. “The Curl Bar London is a safe space for women with curls, coils and waves to feel empowered. We have a wall in our salon that collects images of our clients to share the beautiful community,” a spokesperson said. The team spoke of how powerful hair is as a tool for “self expression” and “empowerment”. The global COVID pandemic has shaken the world, and the UK, in countless ways. It’s been a time of loss, physically through
SYMBOL OF COMMUNITY: Salons are a place of liveliness the lives taken by the virus, but also mentally, in the friendships and connections it has halted. Identity is so strongly rooted in expression, and with opportunities to express oneself ceasing under lockdown, people’s sense of identity may have waned. As we move towards easing national lockdown rules, I hope readers can reminisce on their times in salons and barbers.
Soon we will be sitting in those barber shops again, enveloped by laughter and chatter, and rid of these barber shop blues. Mayi Hughes is a British-
Nigerian student journalist at Harvard University, born and raised in east London. An
international track athlete
passionate about education,
women and uplifting black stories
34 | THE VOICE APRIL 2021
News
Making waves in Margate People Dem Collective aims to break down barriers in the community through the power of art
PIONEERS: Kelly Abbott and Victoria Barrow Williams, above, set up People Dem Collective less than 18 months ago. Left, the pair have already held an exhibition at the town’s Turner Contemporary gallery featuring images from an anti-racism march (photos: Inky Durant, Sheradon Dublin and Marlow Phillips)
By Jo Phillips
“W
E’RE SER IOUS LY s upe r human, two formidable women, leaning into it, getting up an hour earlier than everyone else and we’re really passionate about our black and brown community.” Those are the words of Kelly Abbott, who with Victoria Barrow Williams set up People Dem Collective, a community arts organisation based in Margate, Kent. They came together less than 18 months ago “through a lived experience of being erased”. Since then, they’ve had an exhibition at the town’s Turner Contemporary gallery, run arts and community projects with local young people, curated the Margate NOW festival and are moving into prime seafront premises which they hope will become a National Cultural Centre with the aim of elevating the presence, work and visibility of people from black, brown and diaspora communities. The Kent seaside resort has
seen something of a renaissance thanks to the arrival of the Turner Contemporary 10 years ago, the regeneration of Dreamland, the iconic vintage amusement park, and high speed rail services between London and Kent. However, like many English coastal towns there are deep pockets of deprivation, high unemployment, poor health and housing issues.
BEACON
Williams describes Margate as “a Petri dish for innovation” and believes there is an urgent need to “dismantle the urban narrative around the black experience”. She believes that having a National Cultural Centre in Margate will help do just that and become “a beacon town”. They are passionate about the value of shared, lived experience and the need to “transfer power to communities” to recognise that value. “We have been that single parent, have got the brother with schizophrenia, know about putting money on the electric key... we have been that com-
munity that goes into Turner Contemporary and potentially feels it’s not for them. We’re super passionate about closing that gap. The collective can be that bridge, we have the experience. We get it,” Williams adds. During an anti-racism march last summer, Turner Contemporary was hosting an exhibition focused on art associated with
women and girls from the Margate area, drawn on to the gallery’s walls by artist Barbara Walker. People Dem Collective believes its exhibition changed perceptions: “It built a bridge, there was a different demographic, young people, people who’d never even think of going to the Turner.” But they are well aware there
It’s not always about the colour of people’s skin, it’s about social economics the civil rights movement in the American South. As the marchers arrived at the gallery, People Dem Collective felt an opportunity had been missed. As Kelly says: “So much was lost – we’re not from Alabama, we’re from Thanet, but we could connect those dots.” After approaching the gallery and with its full support, within weeks People Dem Collective had an exhibition of films, speeches and artwork from the Margate march alongside a third installation featuring five large portraits of black
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are challenging and difficult conversations to be had. Abbott says: “It’s not necessarily or always about the colour of people’s skin, it’s about social economics. It’s not just people recognising their organisations are very white or very middle class, they have to understand it within themselves. To understand inherent racism and that’s hard.” People Dem Collective’s aim is to create safe spaces – both physical and virtual – to have those “awkward conversations, to make mistakes and learn
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from them, to break down barriers and dismantle systematic structures but to be deep rooted in the community – an organisation that truly speaks to the people”.
ICONS
Another project in development is with young people, building on the work with local schools and the Black British Icons project which proved something of a revelation. Abbot says: “We were really shocked all of the icons they knew were American, so it got them thinking about icons from their own experience. By creating the artwork we’re also creating data so we can see how that changes over the years. It’s their history, British history, everyone’s history.” People Dem Collective is building bridges, breaking down barriers and creating relationships between the community and the growing creative sector. It recognises the need to “ride the momentum” of Margate’s resurgence as a thriving creative hub and that if the door is closed opportunities can be missed.
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Abbott describes it as “a socially conscious town, alive and kicking when it comes to art, homelessness, the LGBTQ+ community, but also recognises the town’s strangely unique place as the “dirty little sister” to smarter resorts along the coast – once described as “the underdog in the Garden of England”. COVID-19 has inevitably had an impact on visitors, exhibitions and events, but England’s Creative Coast to be launched in Margate next month aims to encourage a gradual return, for people to explore their own local area and see artworks outside gallery walls that will be placed along the coastline of Kent, Sussex and Essex . People Dem Collective says the backdrop of Margate’s sandy beaches, the skies and sunsets so beloved of JMW Turner and the ‘bookends’ of the gallery named after him and Dreamland create an amazing backdrop to learn, heal and explore, to tap into what Kelly describes as. “The sense of freedom you get when you’re on holiday translates to learning.”
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Lifestyle
WHAT THE NFT IS GOING ON HERE?
IMVU taking a bold step into the metaverse p36
Eddie Murphy: There’s no other movie like Coming To America p38
Sean Paul is bringing everyone in p41
46 | THE VOICE APRIL 2021
Sport
OF SPORT NEWSPAPER
RLWC21 SPECIAL
TOP SPORTS COVERAGE 24/7 VOICE-ONLINE. CO.UK/SPORT
GLOBAL AMBITION Jamaica’s participation in Rugby League World Cup can inspire communities in UK
By Rodney Hinds
B
EARING IN mind that Jamaica do not possess their own dedicated rugby pitch, their qualification for the Rugby League World Cup later this year is one hell of an achievement. The Caribbean outfit, known as the Reggae Warriors, make their global bow in England this winter having overcome all the odds and despite that aforementioned lack of key facilities. The man that has helped navigate Jamaica to the sport’s top table is Jamaica Rugby League director Romeo Monteith, pictured inset right. His team qualified for the greatest show on Earth three years ago and will face the might of New Zealand, Ireland and Lebanon in their initial group when the tournament gets under way in England later this year.
LEGACY
However, before a ball is kicked, Monteith is keen to provide inspiration for future generations. He told the Voice of Sport: “After the World Cup It would be good if the legacy meant that for another generation or two that there is a safe space to play. “Just to have a home for rugby league and having a field where we can play undisturbed would be a boost. A lot of people may not know but there is no rugby pitch on the island, we have to borrow football fields and that can be very difficult at times. Sometimes you’re not allowed to play or you are chased off! “I want to see more people
“It’s going to be massive. It’s a chance to showcase our culture”
participating and numbers are picking up nicely. More players will secure the sport in Jamaica.” And Monteith wants the sport to touch those in the United Kingdom, too. “I want rugby being promoted more to African and Caribbean communities. For young people, it’s not just about football. I know everybody dreams about those multi-million pound contracts but I’d like to see more exposure to rugby league with more black fans going to games.” Ironically, Jamaica’s participation in rugby began in the UK. He takes up the story: “The genesis of rugby league in Jamaica actually started in England in the late 1990s. “There are lots of people with Jamaican heritage living in the UK, and we had players playing at the semi-pro and amateur level. A few of them thought about a West Indies team, the team was formed and they played a few tournaments. “The thinking was if we were going to have a West Indies team they had to be in the West Indies! Emails were sent to several Caribbean islands, including Jamaica. Rugby Union has had a big background in the West Indies since the 1940s and ‘50s, so we know about rugby.
So when we heard about rugby league, we were like, ‘Wow we didn’t realise there was another code to the sport’. “As we researched it some more, persons involved understood that the game is quite suited to us because it’s all about the speed, power and expressing yourself as an athlete. “We formed an association in 2004 and from the moment we started, as a group, we’ve always been ambitious. The dream was to one day play in a World Cup.” The reaction to the island reaching their first World Cup has illuminated once again a nation that has a rich history at performing on sport’s biggest stages. “The reaction has been really awesome,” confessed the articulate Monteith. “A lot of people were surprised. It was joy all over because it’s all about the Caribbean once more showing that they produce great sports men and women. There is no arena safe from our athletic prowess. “It was really pleasing to see a lot of people on the street when we qualified in 2018. There were good vibes and it has continued.” So just how and why does an island of three million people continue to punch above its weight when it comes to sport? “Some people say it’s in the genes while some say it’s in the yam and banana but it’s much more than that,” smiles Monteith. “There’s something about our physical prowess because speed seems to be ingrained in our genes. I think it is a Caribbean thing on the whole. “It’s also a cultural thing. Kids at a very early age are always running around in Jamaica. We are always very active and I think that gives us a very good base. We are outdoors 12 months of the year. “Culturally we are very competitive as well. There’s a lot going on for us that really pro-
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motes sport. The skills translate from one sport to the next. “I think Jamaicans are always up for a challenge and proving people wrong. Everything we touch is golden. I can’t think of a sport that we have tried and not had some type of success. “As a small nation it is good to imprint ourselves on the world and be positive ambassadors for our young people and show them some pathways as opposed to destructive tendencies. Sport is a saviour for many people and we have to keep it going.”
SHOCK
One thing that will certainly be kept going is Jamaica’s rugby rise and rise. They will head to the World Cup buoyed with belief in their ability to cause a shock or two and land themselves a berth at the business end of the tournament. “We don’t just want to participate whenever we play. Even when the odds are stacked against us we always feel we can spring a surprise. “All the players want to perform. We want to be in the quarter-finals. We are aiming to win two matches in our group and we are putting together a competitive squad.” That squad will potentially include the likes of English-based players such as Michael Lawrence and Jordan Turner (Huddersfield Giants) and Joe Brown (Newcastle Thunder). Monteith adds: “The motivation is going to be really high. Regardless of what happens I think we will do Jamaica and the Caribbean proud.” Like many around the globe, Jamaica’s plans for the World Cup have been hit hard due to the devastating global pandemic. “COVID-19 has affected out senior club championship,” admits Monteith. “That has taken off some of the shine as we wanted to keep the game at the forefront of people’s minds.” Undeterred, the Reggae Warriors will land in England come World Cup time keen to leave an impression. “We are looking to put on a
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EXPERIENCE: Huddersfield Giant star Michael Lawrence; inset below left, The Warriors celebrate qualification good show for the people that support us. I would say people go grab a ticket! “It’s an historic moment. It’s the first time that a Caribbean nation has qualified. “It’s going to be massive. It’s a chance to showcase our people and culture. And it’s not just about Jamaica, it’s a Caribbean and African thing.” He continued: “It’s big for all of us. It’s another space in sport that some might say isn’t for us – but here we are. “We are not just sprinters or
track athletes, we are sports people whether it be swimming or rugby league. “It’s a really exciting game and entertaining too. It’s the world’s greatest game and there’s a reason for that. “When you look at the athletic prowess that is on display, the participants prepare their bodies to an extreme level and then go on to perform at a very high skill level, too. “I hope the various communities will come out and cheer for Jamaica.”
Jamaica’s World Cup fixtures IRELAND: Sunday, October 24, Emerald Headingley Stadium, Leeds NEW ZEALAND: Saturday,
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October 30, Emerald Headingley Stadium, Leeds LEBANON: Sunday, November 7, Leigh Sports Village
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APRIL 2021
THE VOICE | 47
Sport
A 2020 vision
A TRUE TRAILBLAZER Clive Sullivan’s international career saw him become Britain’s first-ever black national captain
C
LIVE SULLIVAN was the first black captain of any British national sporting team. Clive was born in the Splott district of Cardiff not far from the Cardiff Royal Infirmary, which was to play such a great part in his early life. During his childhood and early teens Clive needed innumerable operations on his knees, shoulders and feet; surgeons advised that he would be fortunate to walk normally. But although frail he overcame adversity, and was eventually given a trial by Bradford as a 17-year-old. They were not
“He is best remembered for his superlative touchdown in the final of the competition”
interested but Hull were, playing him straight away in their first team where he shone in his first game. Clive was an out and out sprinter with blistering speed his trademark. If there was space on the outside he would exploit it, running around the quickest of opposition wingers. He was the master of the cover tackle with deceptive upper body strength. In spite of repeated injuries needing further operations on his knees, he played 13 seasons with Hull. At that time the club was having little success but Clive was still able to show his immense talent. An example was his
seven tries against Doncaster in 1968, a club record. Clive scored 250 tries for Hull in 352 games, easily a club record. Transferred across the city in 1974 to Hull Kingston Rovers he scored a further 118 tries in 213 games. He won the first of 17 caps for Great Britain in 1967, playing three World Cup matches in 1968 with a hat-trick in the game against New Zealand. He toured Australia a year later, but injury restricted him to just one Test. Returning to Great Britain in 1971 he appeared in all three Tests against New Zealand and in 1972 was awarded the captaincy for the two Tests with France. Perhaps he is best remembered as captain of the team which won the World Cup in France in 1972, scoring a try in each of Great Britain’s four games. His Great Britain career finished in 1973 with three Tests against Australia. In his 17 appearances he had scored 13 tries and captained the side on nine occasions. He was the first black captain of any British national sporting team. He was awarded the MBE for services to Rugby League. With Wales he won 15 caps in the period 1968-1979. In all games, club and international,
he scored 406 tries in 639 appearances, a record bettered by only two other Welshmen and only half- a-dozen players of any nationality. He will always rank as one of the greatest finishers in the game of Rugby League. Great Britain winger Clive’s first World Cup was a disaster for the team – but quite successful for himself.
HAT-TRICK
He played in three of Britain’s fixtures, scoring a try in the first against Australia and in the final game, a 38-14 win over New Zealand in Sydney, he became the first British player to score a hat-trick in a World Cup match. By 1972 Clive had risen to the Great Britain captaincy and was in charge for the tournament in France. He led his underrated Lions to victory over Australia (27-21), France (13-4) and New Zealand (53-19), claiming a try in each game. However, he is best remembered for his superlative touchdown in the final of the competition against favourites Australia. His length of the field run to score in the 10-10 draw at Lyon is arguably the most famous try in the history of the World Cup. ‘Sully’ was the last British captain to lift the World Cup. In 1975 Sullivan was still causing mayhem to defences
HERO: Clive Sullivan paved the way for future black captains in Britain (photo: hullfc.com); inset left, the cover of James Oddy’s book The Clive Sullivan Story and represented Wales in four World Championship matches. His last try at this level effectively won the World title for Australia, as Wales beat England 12-7 at Brisbane, thanks to Sullivan’s match-clinching try after chasing a ball over the English line.
His final three games in the tournament, however, all ended in losses. Clive’s son Anthony emulated his father by representing Wales in the 1995 World Cup.
This article appears on 100greatblackbritons.com
We ask Sébastien Bechara: What does #RLWC21 mean to you? By James Aldred SÉBASTIEN BECHARA is one of the most talented wheelchair rugby league players in the world. With the World Cup taking place later this year, the England international is optimistic about his side’s chances and what the tournament could do for the sport of wheelchair rugby league... JA: What does the Rugby League World Cup of 2021 mean to you? SB: It means the world, not only because we are representing our country but because it gives us wheelchair athletes an opportunity to be on the big stage. We’ve been working really hard for years to get the public recognition and now it’s finally starting to pay off.
GETTING A PIECE OF THE ACTION: Sébastien Bechara, centre, in action (photo: Neko Grouch)
JA: England have a decent record in the Wheelchair Rugby League World Cup, reaching the finals of 2013 and
2017 respectively. What is your aim for this tournament? SB: We’re aiming for nothing else other than becoming world champions. We came so close in 2013 and 2017. We’re definitely working as hard as we can both on and off the pitch. We’re aiming for greatness. JA: For those who have never watched wheelchair rugby league before, what can they expect? SB: I remember when I first heard about wheelchair rugby league – I was recently disabled and thought it was going to be slow and boring. It’s actually an amazing sport, not only to play but to watch as well. You can expect the most incredible sport – big hits and exciting tries! JA: For this year’s World Cup, the men’s, women’s and wheelchair tournaments will all be taking place at the same time. What does that mean for the sport of wheelchair rugby league?
SB: We’re finally part of the rugby league family. For too long, we’ve separated the men’s, women’s and wheelchair versions of the sport. To see now them at the same level and at the same time is amazing. It’s a great step forward. JA: You have family from across the world, including Lebanon and Malta. What does the tournament represent for different countries and cultures? SB: It’s a moment of acceptance and equality, where everyone’s the same. It’s going to be amazing to meet so many people from so many different countries.
The Wheelchair Rugby League World Cup’s group stages begin on Thursday November 11, with Sébastien’s England taking on Australia in what promises to be an exciting opening match. To buy tickets or to find out more information, visit https://www.rlwc2021.com/ the-tournament/wheelchair