Toronto Wolfpack majority owner David Argyle has apologized after a Swinton Lions player accused him of racism.
Swinton prop Jose Kenga says after the Lions' 52-10 loss in Toronto on April 28 he approached a teammate who was speaking to Argyle. Kenga says as he got closer, Argyle looked at him and said "Do they allow black people in Swinton?" and then laughed.
Kenga said he told Argyle "you can't say that in this day and age and he just laughed, brushed it off and handed over a drink token to me."
Kenga made the allegation via social media Thursday. Toronto visits Swinton on Sunday.
Argyle, a Toronto-based Australian mining and resources entrepreneur, issued a statement soon after.
"I have requested to speak directly to Jose and apologize personally for my words, which I hope to do as soon as possible," he said. "I deeply regret making Jose feel terrible, and must stress that it was never my intention to do so.
"We take great pride in making Toronto an amazing experience for all travelling teams and their loyal fans. We try to make everyone feel comfortable and welcome. However, that day I fell short on delivering those standards. I take full responsibility and I want to unreservedly apologize to Jose, Swinton Lions, Toronto Wolfpack and our great fans for my comments."
The Rugby Football League, the governing body of English rugby league, says it has opened an investigation into the matter.
"We have a zero-tolerance approach to racist behaviour of any type," it said.
In his statement on Twitter, Kenga said while he had remained silent on the incident, he now feels it is time to speak up.
"This is not a matter that should be swept under the carpet," he said. "People who are racist ought to be held accountable for their actions. I have never felt so little in my life and can't believe that people can still have such a racist mind. To make the comment is one thing but to laugh after is another which made me feel so powerless.
"There's no room for intolerance, ignorance or racism."
Argyle's transatlantic rugby league team currently leads the second-tier Betfred Championship with a 14-1-0 record. Swinton stands 11th at 4-11-0.
