AT a time where the game is crying out for direction, high-profile figures seem content on sniping from the trenches rather than joining together in a real war against racism.

The Gloucester-Newcastle saga has deteriorated, utterly predictably, into a war of words with both camps incensed at each other's behaviour.

It is to be hoped, however, that today's RFU disciplinary hearing into the dismissals of Olivier Azam and Epi Taione, during the ill-fated league clash last month, will provide answers rather than simply throwing up more questions about the game's integrity.

Certainly, Martin Offiah's weekend comments, regarding his own racial abuse in rugby union, seemed to add credence to the growing belief that there is a problem within the game.

However, it seems outrageously arrogant for any sport to think it is exempt from such gut-wrenching bigotry. Despite the Government's insistence that the issue is being tackled throughout the country, the spectre of racism is an all-too familiar problem on a day-to-day basis in England.

It is almost as if officials within sport believe that people, who either participate or watch on from the stands, forget about their prejudices when they enter an arena.

They simply become saints when they don their replica kits and take their seats in the stadium. The reality, however, is somewhat different and if the fallout from the Kingsholm debacle tells us anything, it is that if you raise your head above the parapet, you will undoubtedly face a firing squad ready to defend the indefensible.

Rob Andrew has become a familiar target for many -- such is his reputation for speaking out. But if he has caused the game to look into the race issue and act, he has done rugby a huge favour.

It takes either overwhelming angst or absolute courage to speak out on these taboo subjects. Whether it was the latter in Andrew's case is open for debate but the very fact that he decided to air these accusations to the national media shows he was intensely concerned at the alleged incident.

For Sateki Tuipulotu, Worcester's larger-than-life full-back and Tongan team-mate of Taione, the episode brought back painful memories of one of his worst moments in the sport.

Tuipulotu, who moved to Sixways two years ago after a spell with Leeds Tykes, said: "I came across racism when I played against Leeds for the first time after my move to Worcester.

"It was terrible that day. They were calling me all sorts - black bastard, the lot. Depending on the individual, it can have a very different effect. I tend to take it with a pinch of salt but for others it can be devastating.

"What was hurtful was that it came from people who I thought were my friends. These were my colleagues a season before.

"I don't think there should be any place for that in sport, OK you go on the pitch and say aggressive things but race shouldn't come into it. If I wanted to I could have taken the matter further but I decided to let it be. Epi feels as though he wants to take it all the way.

"You do get racism in rugby, there's no doubt about it. Rugby needs to address the problem and make sure there are disciplinary procedures in place with the clubs and the RFU because these incidents need to be stopped.

"There has got to be either fines or discipline so it doesn't happen. We can make things better but it's not going to be easy to stop it completely."

The acid test for rugby and the RFU now is to use this hearing as an opportunity to ask some searching questions.

To solve a problem, you first need to recognise it and rugby should have enough intelligence within it to see all is not rosy within the garden. The chance to weed out this evil must not be missed.

Years of campaigning against racism in football has recently been shown to be almost utterly futile in the wake of such distasteful sagas on and off the field. There can be no room for such complacency within rugby.