It's not about who said what, being right or wrong, or even winning or losing. It's not even about David Pocock, one of the most respected athletes in Australia.

Calling out players for using homophobic slurs was about a sport standing tall and doing its bit to take up the fight against homophobia.

But because Pocock showed courage that a lot of us lack, somehow the Brumbies as a club and the former Wallabies captain were unfairly cast, in some circles, as the villains who should have said nothing.

The Brumbies were privately aggrieved when the focus was put on them and Pocock on Monday after Jacques Potgieter used the word faggot to sledge ACT players.

The focus should have been on the word faggot and why it was said. It shouldn't have mattered if Pocock, Nic White, Robbie Coleman or Michael Hooper spoke out.

This issue was about raising awareness and stamping out discrimination in an environment where problems can easily be swept under the carpet.

Those who interpreted the Brumbies' stance as Pocock using the centre of Allianz Stadium to voice his belief completely missed the point.

There were calls for rugby to stick to: "what happens on the field, stays on the field". Those people missed the point as well.

The people who thought Pocock went about it the wrong way must have missed the part where he said this wasn't a witch hunt to single out one player, it was about comments that were unacceptable in society.

It wasn't about Pocock. It wasn't about a Brumbies-Waratahs bitter rivalry which has been exploding for 20 years.

The whole issue was about homophobia and a sport which has pledged to stamp out discrimination.

Would this have all been different if the comments had been race based rather than homophobic? It shouldn't matter.

The suggestion on Monday and again on Tuesday that the Brumbies "went cool" on the allegations and didn't back Pocock were completely wrong. The Brumbies didn't lodge a formal complaint because SANZAR took control of the invesitgation.

Ask Brumbies coach Stephen Larkham and he'll tell you that everyone at the club backs Pocock.

Privately Pocock did not want to be at the centre of a controversy. He did not know that his conversation with Joubert was being caught on "ref cam". He didn't want this to be about him.

The Brumbies believe Potgieter had used similar slurs in their battles last year. He must now undergo education and awareness training after the ARU acted swiftly.

When Brumbies captain Stephen Moore approached Pocock on the field, they decided enough was enough.

Both approached referee Craig Joubert and said Potgieter's actions were unacceptable.

Somehow that got twisted into Pocock using the centre of Allianz Stadium as a place to push his personal views forward.

Some players didn't even know of the drama until after they returned to the changerooms after the match.

So should Pocock and Moore have stood by and said nothing? Who would have won that battle?

ACT Chief Minister Andrew Barr said it best when he declared the Brumbies "took a stance for the right reasons".

Barr, the first openly gay state or territory leader in Australia, said that people needed to "speak up loudly" if a culture in society was ever going to change.

Brumbies players were proud of the way Pocock handled himself. Waratahs players should be proud of him as well.

It didn't matter who said what and why. It didn't matter who reported it. The main issue is that someone gave voice to a problem that has a much wider base than Super Rugby rivals.

The gay community was simply happy that someone was standing up for what was right and that the issue was being covered. Pocock didn't seek out the attention, he just wanted to raise the issue.

Even some Brumbies players had contact from strangers and friends expressing pride in the way the ACT club had handled a delicate situation.

Brumbies captain Moore's post-game comments were taken out of context.

Moore said the niggle in the match was in the spirit of the game, referring to banter between former housemates Nic White and Michael Hooper.

That got twisted to imply that Moore was referring to Potgieter's offensive comments.

Had Joubert's microphone not been turned on, would the public be none the wiser? Would Potgieter have been fined? It's impossible to know.

But the fact the issue has been raised speaks volumes for the development of rugby.

One player said: "Rugby has taken plenty of knocks as a sport over the past year or so. This wasn't going to be tolerated."

The ARU implemented an inclusion policy to stamp out discrimination and homophobia and this was its first test.

It must be said that the ARU, the Waratahs, the Brumbies and all Super Rugby clubs have worked to make the sport inclusive.

It only takes one remark to take steps backwards, but the respect can be rebuilt.

There will probably be icy receptions when Brumbies and Waratahs players meet face to face at a Wallabies camp this weekend.

You can bet the return Brumbies-Waratahs derby in Canberra on May 1 will be explosive.

And if there's one person who shouldn't be criticised it's Pocock. He shouldn't be mentioned at all. Because this is Potgieter's issue and rugby has taken the necessary steps stamp out discrimination.