British Olympic rugby star Amy Wilson-Hardy removed from team amid allegations of racism

Rugby player Amy Wilson-Hardy, who is representing Great Britain this summer at the Paris Olympics, has been removed from the team this week amid allegations of racist messages that became public. Wilson-Hardy was removed for “medical reasons,” according to the British Olympic Association, however, the BOA has launched an investigation into the rugby sevens star.

A screenshot of a conversation between the Olympic athlete and a friend showed how the conversation began after she sent a photo wearing a charcoal facemask on WhatsApp. The recipient of the message responded, “genuine chocolate face.”

The conversation continued in an unsavory direction with Wilson-Hardy writing, “Though I’d have a better chance with the blacks.”

The BOA responded to the allegations by confirming the start of an investigation into the messages. Though the WhatsApp messages include timestamps, it’s unclear on what date the texts were sent.

“The British Olympic Association has been made aware of an image published on a social media platform and is investigating the matter,” a BOA spokesperson said to The Sun.

Wilson-Hardy joined Team Great Britain as a member of the women’s rugby team in 2013. The Poole, Dorset native first appeared at the Olympics in Rio in 2016. The Paris Olympics are her second Olympic Games, but potentially her last. The United States defeated Team GB on Monday in a 17-7 match, sending the Brits packing.

USA Rugby star speaks out over BMI at Paris Olympics

Team USA star Ilona Maher is a beast and she has showcased her skills well on the rugby field during the 2024 Paris Olympics. Not only can she run fast, she hits like a mack truck. So when people on social media commented on her appearance, including her height and weight, Maher decided to give some perspective this week.

Responding in a video to a comment that said she had a body mass index of 30%, Maher took it in stride.

“Hi, thank you for this comment, I think you were trying to roast me, but this is actually a fact,” Maher said. “I do have a BMI of 30, well, 29.3 to be more exact. I’ve been considered overweight my whole life. In middle school, in high school, I was always considered overweight. I remember vividly one time in high school, I (turned in a) physical to the office, and right at the bottom of the page, it said overweight. And I was so embarrassed to turn that in and to have that written there. So my whole life, I’ve been this way.” 

Since the start of the Olympic Games in Paris, Maher has gained a vast number of new followers on social media. Her following has grown to 1.2 million fans and counting.

On3’s Nick Kosko contributed to this report.