Six Nations: Abuse forces Nick De Luca to bow out of Twitter

DISAPPOINTED Scotland rugby international Nick De Luca has been forced to cancel his Twitter account after becoming a target for abuse from a group of bitter fans.

A torrent of online abuse was aimed at the centre in the wake of the Six Nations defeat by Wales at the Millennium Stadium on Sunday.

The postings included insults of a highly personal nature – prompting the player to abandon the social networking site.

At least one Scotland team colleague has aired his fury at the public treatment of De Luca.

And yesterday dozens of disgusted supporters also gave him strong backing via Twitter.

Edinburgh ace De Luca had frustrated fans by being yellow-carded at a crucial stage at the Millennium Stadium. And it was while he was in the sin-bin that the Welsh effectively snuffed out the challenge of the Scots.

Before quitting Twitter, De Luca had been regarded as one of the more entertaining contributors among rugby figures north of the border.

Asked recently why he did not sport any tattoos on his body, De Luca replied: “Because you don’t put a bumper sticker on a Ferrari.”

An Edinburgh spokesman said: “Social media, and Twitter in particular, is a very useful and positive tool for players to engage with the fans, the vast majority of whom are very supportive. We’re sorry Nick felt it necessary to remove himself from Twitter but it’s a personal decision which, given some of the unpleasant and personal comments, is entirely understandable.”

De Luca, who was born in Dumfries and grew up in Lockerbie, recovered from a disappointing debut against France in 2008 to win 31 caps. In last year’s World Cup he spurned a golden opportunity in the crunch match against England when he knocked on a loose ball with the line at his mercy.