Australian superstar Reece Walsh showcased his trademark composure and quick wit during the Kangaroos’ Ashes victory over England at Hill Dickinson Stadium, brushing off vile abuse from a small section of spectators.
The incident occurred late in the match when Walsh was shown a yellow card by referee Grant Atkins with 14 minutes remaining.
Unlike in the NRL, where sin-binned players are sent to the dressing room, the 23-year-old remained on the sideline for the full 10 minutes, perched on a tackling pad just metres from the fans.
Throughout this time, the Kangaroos fullback faced relentless abuse from a small group of English fans, who directed homophobic taunts, insults like “bastard,” and ridiculed him for wearing nail polish.
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Security had to intervene and warn one fan during the onslaught, but Walsh remained composed, refraining from any offensive gestures or remarks.
Instead, he drew laughter from nearby spectators when he cheekily turned to a heckler and asked with a grin if he was still a virgin.
“Some of the things that they were saying were pretty crazy,” Walsh told the Sydney Morning Herald.
“But I’m one of those guys, if you’re going to give it, you’re going to receive it.”
Despite the abuse, Walsh’s popularity among the majority of English fans remained undiminished. Younger spectators, in particular, flocked to see the Australian No.1 in action, and Walsh handled his growing fame overseas with notable poise and class.
“You hear all these things about the game not being as strong over here, so just to be able to come out here and bring eyes to the sport, that’s what we want to do,” he stated.
“We want to grow our game. We have to have more things like this. I think 22 years [since previous Ashes tour] is way too long so we have to keep growing the game and bringing people from near and far. It will be awesome to take our game all over the world.”