Kotoni Staggs Says Not Singing the Anthem Is About Respect for His Elders, Days Before the Samoa Semi-Final
Kotoni Staggs says he does not sing the Australian anthem out of respect for his Indigenous elders, and that it takes nothing away from how he feels about wearing the green and gold. His comments were reported by AAP and the ABC on Tuesday night, five days before the Kangaroos play Samoa in the World Cup semi-final in Sydney.
Staggs and several of his team-mates have been criticised throughout the tournament for staying silent during the pre-game anthem.
“It’s just me”
The Brisbane centre, who has won nine caps for Australia since his debut in 2023, said his decision came from his family and his background. “I’m a proud Wirajudri boy and I’m proud of who I am and where I come from, and me not singing an anthem doesn’t mean that I’m not grateful,” he said.
He said the moment still moves him. “I still love wearing that jersey. When the anthem is getting played you look around and get emotional. But me not singing, it’s a whole different meaning to that and that’s just me.”
On where the position comes from, Staggs pointed to what his elders have told him. “You also talk to your elders from back home and grandparents and stuff and [understand] what they had to go through. It’s more of a respect for my elders and my family,” he said.
“I’m a proud Australian as well,” he said, calling it “just something that I’ve lived by, and I’ve got no harm in it. It doesn’t take anything away from the jersey I wear.”
Carrigan backs his team-mate
Staggs’s Broncos team-mate Pat Carrigan supported him. Carrigan said players should be free to stand up for what they believe in, and that he hoped the debate would lead to a wider conversation about Australia’s history.
“As sports people there’s a focus on us as role models, but it probably points to a greater conversation for us to have as a society outside of football,” Carrigan said. “I know that each and every boy here is proud to pull on the green and gold.”
Not the first time
The ABC noted that criticism of Staggs and other Indigenous Kangaroos, including Latrell Mitchell, is nothing new, and that former Australia coach Mal Meninga has defended players who take the same stance.
The Jillaroos have had their own version of the conversation. Coach Jess Skinner, who is Barkindji and Māori, has stressed the importance of the team walking out beside the Australian, Indigenous and Torres Strait Islander flags. “All three flags have separate meanings for our country, and it represents that we’re a diverse country with many different cultures,” she said.
The semi-final is on Sunday
The Kangaroos meet Samoa at Allianz Stadium in Sydney on Sunday, with a place in the final at stake. Samoa lost their pool game to Tonga 20-18 and will be without five-eighth Chanel Harris-Tavita, who has a hamstring injury. Captain Junior Paulo is available after escaping a ban. Our report on Australia against the Cook Islands covers the Kangaroos’ pool form, and the World Cup table has every result so far.
