Baker Handles Fan Invasion, Apologizes
Baker Handles Fan Invasion, Apologizes
USA 7s wing Perry Baker had an eventful weekend at the Nelson Mandela Bay 7s, as he scored the winning try against Fiji in the Plate Final, capping off a tournament that started with him being tackled by a fan.
Baker chased down a long kick from Madison Hughes in the Plate Final with the score tired 14-14. Baker managed to gather the ball and canter in the rest of the way. But things didn’t look so good on Saturday.
At the end of the first half of the opening game against South Africa, a fan ran onto the field and tackled Baker. Baker wriggled free, and, understandable angry at being attacked by a fan, kicked the fan while he was on the ground. The fan got up and ran off the field.
No one seemed to find any fault with Baker’s actions. The South African announcers called the fan an “idiot” and seemed to praise Baker for taking care of the problem.
Here's a GIF of the incident:
Here's a GIF of the incident:
Despite no one really being bothered by his actions, Baker felt bad about the incident and tweeted an apology that night:
After he helped the USA win the Plate the next day, Baker was interviewed on TV, and was asked about the fans. He praised the fan support lavishly and received a big ovation.
