Rugby news: Maurice Longbottom on Liz Cambage ‘fake tan’ post scandal

Aussie sevens star Maurice Longbottom was unwittingly dragged into an Olympic scandal when Liz Cambage took aim at a perceived lack of diversity. He reveals how it affected him.

Sevens star Maurice Longbottom has moved on from the controversy of the Olympics when Liz Cambage took aim at Australia’s perceived lack of diversity in their uniform unveiling and he was caught up in the “fake tan” scandal.

Longbottom was among seven athletes used to unveil the Indigenous-inspired 2022 Commonwealth Games designed by RM Williams in Kirribilli on Wednesday.

Maurice Longbottom shows off the Commonwealth Games uniform.

Last year he was part of the Olympics uniform unveiling by Jockey, after which outspoken basketballer Cambage wrote: “yay more whitewashed campaigns” and on a photo that included Longbottom – a proud Dharawal man – she wrote: “also fake tan doesn’t equal diversity”.

Cambage apologised to Longbottom on social media and clarified that she knew who he was and wasn’t referencing him in her social media post.

Henry Hutchison and Maurice Longbottom celebrate a try.

For the first time, Longbottom addressed the drama.

“That happened when I was in the village in Tokyo and it was outside noise I didn’t need at the time,” Longbottom told Rugby Confidential.

“I let it fester on its own, let Liz do whatever she wanted to do, it’s got nothing to do with me, she can make her own comments, I wasn’t getting caught up in any of that.”

But it is important for Longbottom that Indigenous culture is recognised in sport, and he is playing his part.

“It is changing, we’re taking steps in the right direction,” he said.

Maurice Longbottom (R) makes a break during the semi-final rugby union match between Australia and Samoa.

Maurice Longbottom also featured in the Olympic shoot, which was criticised by Liz Cambage.

“Any step forward is good, you want to see them doing something instead of not doing anything. At the moment we’re taking the right steps, if we keep moving in the right direction for the years to come, and the younger generation, it will be a lot better.

“I’m definitely trying to paint the path for our Indigenous kids to go out there and chase your dreams, don’t get caught in the wrong crowds and use sport as a good out.

“You never know, it can change your life – it changed mine.”

The RM Williams designed Games uniforms features the “unity” symbol created by Indigenous artist Jenna Lee.

L-R : Ridge Barredo – Weightlifting, Sharni Williams OAM – Rugby 7s, Maurice Longbottom – Rugby 7s, Ellie Cole OAM – Para-swimming, BOTTOM L-R: Charlotte Caslick OAM – Rugby 7s, Jake Lappin – Para-athletics and Tina Rahimi – Boxing.

“Having culture on the jersey, representing myself, my family back here at home, having that with me when I’m away is something I can think about, and I’m proud,” Longbottom said.

“Every time I wear it, I wear it to the fullest of my ability.

“I’m in my prime right now.

“It doesn’t come down to one thing, it’s my why – the people I do it for; my culture; my mum, my sisters, my partner, my close friends who are always pushing me to be better.

“I keep going out there to show I’m giving it 100, and that’s why they’re with me. They’re my why.”

After winning the London World Sevens Series tournament last week, Australia is second on the standings and 27-year-old Longbottom is supremely confident that form will translate to a medal in Birmingham.
“I’d be disappointed if we weren’t top three, maybe even top two,” Longbottom said.

“Getting that win in London has given us massive confidence in backing our systems, we know what we have to do to win games.”

COACH MUSICAL CHAIRS WORKS WONDERS FOR SEVENS

The revival of the Australian men’s and women’s sevens teams is one of the most remarkable examples of how coaching methods can succeed or fail depending on the gender of the athlete.

Tim Walsh took the Aussie women to gold at the 2016 Rio Games, then took over the men’s team and had no success. John Manenti was with the men, improved them significantly, swapped with Walsh, and the women’s team went backwards at the Tokyo Games.

After that, Rugby Australia announced the coaches were swapping back.

Australian Women's Rugby Sevens coach Tim Walsh.

John Manenti.

Many observers scoffed at the flip-flop move, but now both teams are among the best in the world – the women have claimed the World Series championship.

Women’s star Charlotte Caslick has had a close-up look at the machinations and revealed some tricks used by Walsh to revitalise their team.

“At the beginning when they first announced the swap I thought it would have a really good outcome, in the past Walshy seems to get the best out of girls, he’s really creative and puts a lot of time into things off the field which girls find important, where I think boys might not appreciate it as much,” Caslick said.

“He makes us videos when we’re away of our whole tour, we’ve been away for a month and he’s recorded the whole time and then put together a really lovely vide, which for girls we love.

“He seems to be able get the best out of girls individually, it’s been the same from going to Rio to now.

Charlotte Caslick.

“When we finished Tokyo we looked at what wasn’t working, we made some key changes and some personnel changes have had a bigger impact on the group that what we thought at the beginning.

“It’s allowed the younger girls like Maddie Ashby and Faith Nathan to really thrive, they’ve come into own. Girls like Maddie Levi as well, she’s played out of her skin this season, because they’re comfortable in the group and they’ve been allowed to be who they are.”

Meanwhile, Caslick has quashed any notion she’ll be pulling the plug on her career anytime soon, having notched personal best results in fitness training this year.

“I’ve actually been asked heaps over the last few months if I’m going to retire anytime soon and I don’t know why, it’ really bizarre,” Caslick said.

“Matt Giteau is like 50 (he’s 39) and he’s still playing, I’m only 27, so hopefully I’ve got a few more years in me.”

WALLABIES SET TO UNVEIL SQUAD FOR ENGLAND SERIES

A squad of 35 Wallabies will be named by coach Dave Rennie on Sunday morning for the

three-Test series against England.

The squad will include Japan-based trio Quade Cooper, Samu Kerevi and Marika Koroibete – who is holidaying in Fiji but will join camp by next Wednesday.

Quade Cooper will be named in the Wallabies squad to face England.

England have lost key prop Kyle Sinckler for the series and Australia should feel confident of ending their nine-match losing streak to Eddie Jones – the first Test is in Perth on July 2.

GITEAU’S GILTINIS BOOTED FROM US PLAYOFFS

Dave Dennis of the LA Giltinis shakes hands with Ross Neal of the Seattle Seawolves.

American rugby is in disarray after two of the strongest clubs were kicked out of their domestic competition playoff series, including Matt Giteau’s LA Giltinis.

Major League Rugby (MLR) announced the Giltinis were booted for an undisclosed “violation of league rules”, following last week’s axing of the Austin Gilgronis for salary cap breaches.

Both the Giltinis and Gilgronis are owned by millionaire F45 entrepreneur Adam Gilchrist.

Former Giltinis and Wallabies star Drew Mitchell suggested on social media that the axing of the Gilgronis was in response to a plan by Gilchrist to contest the Gilgronis penalty, and the other MLR clubs had ganged up to also take out the LA team.

The LA Giltinis include Giteau, Will Chambers, Dave Dennis and Bill Meakes and they’re coached by Stephen Hoiles.

The Giltinis are defending MLR champions.

Originally published as Rugby news: Maurice Longbottom on Liz Cambage ‘fake tan’ post scandal