DUBLIN, Ireland: World Rugby celebrated a significant milestone as a man in Australia became the first to be prosecuted for targeting a match official and his family with online abuse during the 2023 World Cup in France.
The individual, identified as Aaron Isaia, a youth worker from Brisbane, pleaded guilty to an online harassment charge and received an AUS$1,000 ($650) good behaviour bond. Additionally, he is banned from attending all World Rugby events.
Alan Gilpin, chief executive of World Rugby, lauded this outcome as a landmark achievement, emphasizing the importance of sending a strong message to online trolls that such behavior is intolerable.
Isaia, a New Zealand-born individual, directed threatening and abusive messages via Facebook to a television match official (TMO) and his wife during the World Cup. World Rugby’s online abuse program supporting match officials and their families assisted in identifying and tracking him down.
This prosecution marks a pivotal moment in combatting online hate during major sporting events, with World Rugby affirming its commitment to safeguarding sportsmen, women, and public figures from vile and toxic abuse. The success of this case sets a precedent, with additional cases pending across five jurisdictions, demonstrating a unified stance against online harassment in sports.
