Petition started by Premiership Rugby club's fans has been promoted by local MP
Thursday 2 July 2020 15:12, UK
Exeter Chiefs has declined to comment on a fan petition to remove its "racist imagery and branding".
A petition has gained more than 850 signatures after calling for the club to remove "Native American imagery that has no relation whatsoever to the history of the club".
The petition has been promoted by Ben Bradshaw MP, the Labour Member of Parliament for Exeter, on his social media page.
It states: "The stylised Native American Chief on the club's crest, the 'Big Chief' mascot, the headdresses and tomahawks adorning the supporters, and the 'Tomahawk Chop' chant are all examples of cultural appropriation of the Native American peoples who were all but wiped out by white European settlers and who still suffer extreme examples of racial prejudice today, across the world."
The petition, started by supporter Ashley Green, said: "The club doesn't even need to change its name - Exeter Chiefs could refer to the Celtic Chiefs who inhabited the city and contributed to its rich and diverse history. It is the imagery that must change."
A club spokesperson has told Sky Sports News it has 'no comment to make on the matter'.
