The Irish Rugby Football Union has opened an investigation into racist abuse directed at Edwin Edogbo on social media following his international debut at the weekend.
The Munster lock was subjected to discriminatory comments after featuring in Ireland’s 20-13 Six Nations triumph over Italy in Dublin on Saturday.
An IRFU spokesperson confirmed the governing body is aware of the targeted online attacks and described them as “cowardly actions of a minority.”
The union stated it maintains a zero tolerance approach to racism in any form, adding that such abuse has no place in Irish society.
Edwin Edogbo was targeted by racist abuse on social media
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Racist comments appeared beneath posts on the IRFU’s official X and Instagram accounts that had been published to celebrate Edogbo earning his first cap.
The union confirmed it has been forced to disable comments on several of these posts.
In response, the IRFU is collaborating with Signify, a data technology firm specialising in protection against online abuse, as well as relevant authorities to report the incidents.
Signify’s ‘Threat Matrix’ service combines artificial intelligence with human monitoring to identify abusive and threatening content across major social platforms.
Edwin Edogbo was making his Ireland bow in the Six Nations clash against Italy
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The IRFU indicated this technology provides actionable evidence that can lead to venue bans, ticket restrictions, and police referrals in the most serious cases.
Edogbo, 23, was born and raised in Cobh, County Cork, to Nigerian parents.
He entered the match as a replacement for James Ryan with 10 minutes remaining, helping Andy Farrell’s side secure victory during a tense finale.
The second row received a rousing reception from supporters at the Aviva Stadium as he stepped onto the pitch for his maiden international appearance.
His contribution proved valuable as Ireland held on for the win in what became a nail-biting conclusion to the contest.
Ireland’s Six Nations campaign continues this Saturday when they travel to Twickenham to face England.
Ireland scraped past Italy in the Six Nations
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Speaking about his debut, Edogbo expressed eagerness to develop his game at international level.
“I just want to learn as much as possible,” he said, noting conversations with head coach Farrell and assistant Paul O’Connell during the campaign.
“Obviously every player wants to play all the games but I understand this is a very special place, a very privileged place to be and it takes time,” he added.
The investigation follows Farrell’s recent criticism of online “keyboard warriors” who had targeted out-halves Sam Prendergast and Jack Crowley with abuse, with the Ireland boss urging such individuals to “cop on and help these kids.”
