Leave it to a Canadian athlete to apologize for getting red-carded.
Canadian rugby player Josh Larsen was handed a red card in the first half of a Rugby World Cup game on Tuesday against South Africa for a dangerous tackle on opponent Thomas du Toit.
Though Canada went on to lose, Larsen made one last move after the match.
“I just wanted to come and apologize for my red card tonight,” he said to Springboks players in their locker room.
“I’m pretty gutted about it but I just wanted to apologize to you guys face to face and wish you all the best for the rest of the tournament.”
The team cheered and applauded, and Larsen shook a few hands.
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The Springboks official Twitter account released a video of the apology on Tuesday, thanking Larsen for his display of sportsmanship.
“This is what rugby is all about,” the team tweeted.
The move is being praised widely on social media.
As one person put it: “A hooligan game played by gentleman.”
The apology, commonly seen as a Canadian stereotype, was not lost on fans.
World Rugby has ruled that Larsen will face a disciplinary hearing over the “act of foul play.”
The 2019 tournament has, so far, seen a record number of red cards. Larsen became the sixth player at the World Cup to get a red, according to Rugby Pass, in part due to new tough refereeing approaches to any on-field contact to the head.
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