Southbridge manager Chris McMillan says the club would not have been able to survive without recruiting players like Peni Manumanuniliwa, pictured with ball, from overseas.

Racial taunts and violent threats have reduced foreign players to tears after games, a Canterbury club rugby manager says.

Southbridge division one manager Chris McMillan, who has been managing the side for 13 years, said there had been "ongoing issues" since the team first started recruiting players from overseas, mainly Tonga, Fiji, South Africa and the United States, in 2007.

The team competes in the Canterbury Country sub union's combined Ellesmere/Mid Canterbury/North Canterbury senior competition.

"The abuse some of these players take from the sidelines and on the field is bloody terrible.

"We have had players basically in tears at the end of games and there's been times when I have had to basically run out there with the water and tell them to calm down because it could erupt."

His comments come after allegations of racism at a division one match on the weekend between Mid Canterbury side Hampstead and North Canterbury's Saracens, which ended with a penalty try that witnesses say sparked a confrontation between supporters and the referee. Allegations of racial abuse by spectators followed.

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One of the Southbridge players, who has played more than 100 games for the club and played at representative level, asked McMillan why he was being targeted.

"He said, 'why am I being talked to like this? What have I done to deserve this? I have given everything to this community'."

The Southbridge community had embraced the positive difference the players had made, McMillan said.

Opposing teams had not been so welcoming, he said. One manager told his team to "rip the n...... head off" before a match this season, McMillan said.

"I went up to him and told him that was uncalled for. He apologised straight away and said that was not right."

McMillan felt referees should do more to put an end to the abuse.

"The touch judges on the sideline hear these comments but I don't know if they are too scared to get involved, or if it's the paperwork or what."

McMillan said he has spoken with Canterbury Rugby Union community rugby general manager Tim Gilkison several times regarding the racial abuse but nothing had been done.

Gilkison said he was aware that concerns had been expressed but no official complaints had been received.

"We don't work on hearsay, we act on fact. We are happy to deal with it, we want to deal with it and we take a very dim view of it.

"We need to know who, when and where this happens so we can put it through the correct process and take the appropriate action."

He said he did not believe racism was "prevalent" but admitted there were people who "simply have a very poor attitude".

Gilkison added it was "absolutely shocking" if players had cried after matches because of racial abuse.

"I would be horrified to think that was the reaction of some players at the end of the game – there's absolutely no place for it."

Gilkison said suggestions of inaction from referees was a "gross generalisation".

"I know a lot of referees that are hugely diligent around this area and will not hesitate to report this kind of activity," he said.

The Human Rights Commission is urging New Zealanders to stand up to racist fans and players.

"Athletes and fans who abuse players because of the colour of their skin have already lost," said Race Relations Commissioner Dame Susan Devoy.

"Their racism belongs in the past and has no place on our sports fields and sidelines."

Responding to the allegations of abuse at the North Canterbury game, Devoy said racial slurs in sport happen and it's "not good enough to say they're random or only happen in the heat of the moment".

"All of us - not just officials - are responsible for standing up to people who use racism to try to win in sport. Everyday New Zealanders can make a stand whether they're playing rugby in North Canterbury, soccer in Seatoun or a 1st XV game in the suburbs.

"Sport is a powerful vehicle to push through important social messages and this is a huge area where our sporting bodies can also step up and stand up to racial abuse in sport."