Auckland DJ, Alfred Aholelei aka DJ Algoodie, has alleged that racist remarks were directed at Tongan supporters during the Tonga v Australia match on the weekend.
Aholelei was working on sound at the stadium during the match when he says he heard an official say "Dance monkey dance" when Tongan fans were shown dancing on the big (stadium) screen.
He says, "We were in a stadium of 30,000 people, it was nothing but passion and love, and voice into the song. The comments that were said by this individual were way out of context."
Since taking his concern to social media, Aholelei says the response has been overwhelming.
His original facebook post on the matter has been shared over 3,000 times in just over 24 hours.
"I had no expectations whatsoever with regards to how people were going to react to what was said. Initially, it was just a thought that I wanted to share with people but so far the investigation has proven to be really quite thorough with people being identified in the room, and the particular individual as well," says Aholelei.
Aholelei says that over time, "You've built a resilience to just ignore it, to just get on with the job," but that, "This particular scenario was heightened with the fact that it was a beautiful evening, and it was just uncalled for."
In a statement, an NRL spokesperson has said,
"The NRL takes the allegation very seriously and is investigating the circumstances. We have spoken with the relevant parties and are working through a process."
Aholelei explains, "It was never a witch hunt, never about pointing the finger at any individual," he says. "It's about the attitudes and perceptions of our people."
"If the NRL are able to put initiatives in place where the awareness around conversations, and help on how to treat people and how to speak to people, if those are put in place to help avoid scenarios like this, then that would be a good thing."
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