Aca Racial Abuser Identified

The man who racially abused New Zealand based former Fiji Sevens rep; Sakenasa Aca in July during the second half of the senior club final at Rugby Park has been identified.

However whether charges would be laid is still yet to be determined.

Detective Damon Wells told Stuff.co.nz that it would be too soon to determine the charges and Lincoln University and the Christchurch Football Club have been really excellent to deal with and have provided them with names of people they believe were involved and from there he managed to identify one person.

“There’s a number of factors – whether the person’s been in trouble before, whether they are prepared to stand up and say yes I made a mistake and are prepared to acknowledge what they’ve done and apologise.”

“Sometimes criminal charges aren’t the only way of dealing with something,” said Wells.

Aca , who left the field in tears 10 minutes before full time, was “happy” to hear the spectator had been identified and willing to meet him.

“I would be happy if he comes and asks for forgiveness,” he said.

The Canterbury Rugby Union (CRU) lodged a formal complaint with police after the July 26 incident.

Aca said last month he forgave the man and did not want to press any charges.

The spectator, a Lincoln supporter, called Aca “a black c***, an idiot”, the Fijian said at the time.

“They are just university students and I’m just thinking about their career, their rugby career or school work, because they are still young.

“Back in Fiji it’s our culture to forgive somebody; if they have done something wrong to you, you need to forgive them.”

Christchurch coach Daniel O’Brien said the club would be “very happy for a conclusion to the whole affair”.

“We would be happy for a strong outcome and for a warning for people in the future to have a think about what they’re going to say because it affects people and their family.”

Lincoln University won the final 24-19.