Sir, - Your EL supplement of January 30th carries a cartoon strip by Martin Rowson, which shows a man dressed in black and wearing a clerical collar screaming at a rugby team to "stick it to those proddy creeps", with the subtitle "just another home match at Blackrock". As the principal of one of the largest schools in Dublin under Protestant management, I would like to record the deep sense of offence which you have caused. We have had a very long relationship with Blackrock College, fulfilling regular fixtures, and never once has there been an occasion when any member of staff there, clerical or lay, encouraged anything other than the highest standards of play, obedience to the laws of rugby and courtesy to our players and staff.
I was an IRFU referee up to four years ago and in approximately 15 years of refereeing rugby I was privileged to be invited by Blackrock College to referee matches every two or three weeks, at all levels up to and including their 1st XV. I always found the players and staff to be courteous to me and to the opposition. If a player transgressed, the staff were quick to reprimand and to take disciplinary action if necessary.
You have adopted a strange tone recently in your newspaper towards schools rugby but this openly sectarian cartoon falls far below accepted standards of journalism and I suggest that it would be appropriate for you to apologise for its publication. - Yours, etc.,
Brian Duffy, Principal, The High School, Rathgar, Dublin 6.
It was not intended to identify any particular school in the cartoon. Any offence is regretted. - Ed, IT