Rugby players refuse to wear rainbow jersey
Players Sean Keppie (left), Kieran Foran (middle) and Reuben Garrick present the Manly Warring Sea Eagles rainbow jersey
Source: dpa/Handouts
Even the Prime Minister of Australia got involved in the discussion: the club management of a rugby team wants to send a signal with a rainbow jersey. Some players refuse.
SSeven players from Australia’s Sydney rugby league team, the Manly Sea Eagles, have refused to wear a rainbow jersey in support of the LGBTQ community. They cited “religious, cultural and family concerns” as reasons.
The boycott is causing a lot of discussion, in which Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has also intervened. He hopes the matter will be settled quickly because it is “a good thing that sport is becoming more inclusive,” he said on Wednesday.
Their decision has consequences for the professionals: Because of their resistance, they will not be used in the important game against the Sydney Roosters on Thursday.
The coach will wear the jersey “with pride”.
“In this specific case, I also feel for these players. They were not included in the discussions surrounding the shirt,” said Manly manager Des Hasler, referring to the club’s decision to send the players onto the pitch in the Pride shirt. “At the very least, they should have been consulted.”
At the same time, Hasler apologized to all minority groups and the LGBTQ community. “Our intention was to be sensitive and passionate about advocating for all the different groups that face inclusion issues on a daily basis,” he was quoted as saying by the AAP news agency.
Instead, due to poor management, the action “has caused considerable confusion, discomfort and pain for many people,” Hasler said. He himself will proudly wear the rainbow shirt, the coach added.
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