Furore over rugby league caller's actor blunder

Actor Djimon Hounsou, right, with former South Sydney Rabbitohs player Sam Burgess. Photo / Getty Images

Veteran English rugby league commentator Eddie Hemmings was moved to clear up comments he made on air during the World Club Challenge.

Commentating for Sky Sports on South Sydney's 39-0 defeat of St Helens this morning NZT, Hemmings watched on as colleague Brian Carney interviewed Souths owner, Oscar-winning actor Russell Crowe.

Crowe snubbed the Oscars to be at St Helens and then joined former player Sam Burgess in the directors' box, while fellow award-winning actor Djimon Hounsou, who starred alongside him as Juba in Gladiator, was also present.

As the camera cut to the stars, both decked out in South Sydney merchandise, Hemmings said of Crowe and Hounsou: "Samuel L Jackson alongside him wasn't it? It looked like him, maybe someone doing an impersonation."

Hemmings' confusing of two black actors angered some Twitter users, with @keysersayso writing to the broadcaster: "#eddiehemmings remove dinosaurs totally ignorant to the power of digital broadcasting".

That came after Hemmings, during a second-half break in play, moved to clear up his earlier comments, saying they had been "tongue in cheek" before informing the viewers that Hounsou was in fact Crowe's company.

Hemmings went on to mention how his comments had been interpreted by Twitter users, adding it was a shame those moved to complain did not have better things to do.

"No Eddie Hemmings that isn't Samuel L Jackson. Outrageous comment!" wrote Twitter user @bolties at the time, while @RichardJGarvin added, again in a direct message to the broadcaster: "The fact that Eddie doesn't understand why his comment was embarrassing tells you everything."

Hemmings has been Sky's main rugby league presenter and commentator since 1990, forming a double act with ex-player Mike Stephenson.

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-AAP