‘I want to show you can rise above the hate’: Junior Nsemba on racism and his Rugby League World Cup dream

England’s players will have no shortage of motivation when they step on to the field this Saturday for the opening match of their Rugby League World Cup campaign. But few, you suspect, have as strong a desire to send the right message out as Junior Nsemba.Whether you are a seasoned Super League fan or a first-time watcher on Saturday morning, the 22-year-old Wigan forward is one of English rugby league’s must-see talents and a player the eyes of the world will be drawn to over the next month.But Nsemba has much more motivation than just on-field performances. This summer, he was subjected to racist abuse on social media after the Warriors’ win against St Helens at Magic Weekend. The matter was dealt with by police and a 56-year-old man arrested.In the buildup to England’s first group match against Tonga on Saturday, Nsemba has bravely agreed to speak about those experiences for the first time; how it has affected him and his family, as well as how it has steeled him further to inspire young black people to rise up against such horrific abuse.“I don’t really know if I was angry when I saw it … just upset, and really disappointed,” he says. “The way I’ve been brought up, if you’ve got a bad opinion then keep it to yourself.“I don’t really care what people have got to say if it’s that bad, to be honest: but I know my family do, and it impacted them more, which was really upsetting.”Nsemba’s parents emigrated to England from Cameroon before he was born and the forward has a tight-knit bond with his family. In fact, they were his primary concern when the incident occurred. “I always tell my mum to stay out of the comments and when she saw what happened, she had to really fight not to say something back,” he says.“I’m really proud of her for holding back because when I was reading it with her, I saw how it impacted her. It’s wild, really, how someone can watch a game of rugby and come up with something like that. I don’t understand it. You can be loved and hated on the rugby pitch but to possess that level of hate, I’ll never understand it.”Nsemba admits the support of Wigan, their chief executive, Kris Radlinski, and head coach, Matt Peet, was crucial throughout that period – which also coincided with a serious mid-season injury. He is also a keen supporter of the Rugby Football League’s Respect campaign, the game-wide initiative from community level up to Super League.But this runs deeper for Nsemba, who speaks with the eloquence and experience of a player who has been at the top level for a long time and is determined to leave a lasting legacy. With England on the world stage this weekend, Nsemba is determined to show young people that hate will not win.“My little brother is seven years old and I don’t know what path he wants to take in life yet, but I don’t think it’s the rugby one,” he smiles. “But whatever path it is, if I can help inspire young black people like him and be a bit of a leader, someone who can show that you can rise above those comments. I’m really motivated to help young people that might face a similar situation.”Junior Nsemba gets a tackle on St Helens' Owen Dagnallis in July. Photograph: Nigel French/PAEngland clearly have an exceptional player on their hands, but in Nsemba they also have a role model for the next generation, too. But the pride in his performances in this World Cup will stretch across the globe, from his own home town of Wigan through to the Cameroonian capital of Yaoundé as Nsemba continues a remarkable sporting family lineage.He is the nephew of the former Liverpool defender Rigobert Song, who represented Cameroon at four World Cups. His cousin Alex also featured in two tournaments for the same nation – and Nsemba says it is an honour to follow in the same footsteps on the global stage in his own maiden World Cup tournament at such a young age.“It’s a pretty hard thing to hold down the Song name and live up to them,” he laughs.“Rigobert and Alex, man, they’ve achieved so much, right? But I’m on the other side of things in so many ways, especially with it being rugby. I just want to make a name for myself, my own family and continue that rich legacy. It’s something I don’t take for granted.”And Nsemba’s roots in Wigan, as well as his proud African heritage, are never far from his mind to keep him grounded as he prepares to make his own World Cup debut. “It’s not a sob story but we had a pretty humble beginning,” he reflects.“When I was younger it was just about playing for my amateur club, Wigan St Judes, and getting sausage and chips after the game! Now it’s a World Cup. I guess it just shows hard work pays off. But my job is not done – this is only the start of my career.“I just want to show people that if you put your mind to something and continue to give 100% you can accomplish your dreams, whatever obstacles and hate is put in your way.”