Tag: Rugby
All the latest breaking news on rugby. Browse THEGAYUK’s complete collection of news, articles and commentary on rugby.
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Rugby Must Change To End Homophobia
In what is believed to be a world first, international rugby stars from three countries are joining together in publicly condemning homophobia in sport. English star James Haskell and Welsh star Alex Cuthbert as well as Australian Rugby Legend John Eales have all backed a statement specifically calling for an end to homophobic language, the most common form of discrimination.
They join other sport stars speaking out about discrimination, including Gareth Thomas and David Pocock as well as openly gay rugby referee Nigel Owens who says homophobia has been tolerated for “too long.” This all comes after the first international study found widespread homophobia in UK and international sport.
– 77% of UK participants in the study had ‘witnessed or experienced homophobia’ around sport
– Verbal slurs such as ‘faggot’ or ‘dyke’ as well as jokes about gay people were the most common forms of homophobia reported
-70% thought youth sport in the UK was not safe or welcoming to lesbian, gay and bisexual people.
(Nearly 9500 gay, lesbian, bisexual and straight people took part in “Out on the Fields,” the largest study ever conducted on homophobia in sport. Nearly 1800 were from the UK. It was reviewed by a panel of seven academic experts from six universities. Full UK results: www.outonthefields.com)In repose to the study, Dublin-based World Rugby (formerly IRB), reaffirmed its recent, historic commitment to ‘eliminate’ discrimination from the game. It is the first ‘world sport’ to make such a bold pledge and quite a contrast to the position of FIFA.
Meanwhile, the three international rugby stars – Haskell, Cuthbert and Eales – have all backed a formal statement and will be promoting anti-homophobia messages through social media this Sunday, 17 May which is ‘International Day Against Homophobia and Transphobia’ on 17 May.The statement backed by the players says:
“Everyone should be able to play and enjoy sport without fear of discrimination. Homophobic language can be harmful to those struggling with their sexuality and it makes people feel unwelcome to play sport. We want to send a strong message to everyone involved in sport that homophobic language and behaviour is not acceptable.”
England’s James Haskell, 30, said he decided to back the statement because he was alarmed by the extent of discrimination discovered in the UK and other countries.“I feel bad for anyone who struggles to be true to who they are and feels the need to live a lie because they are worried about being rejected. I think homophobic language is still too common in sport. Even if the jokes and banter you sometimes hear are not meant to be harmful I think it creates an environment where gay people don’t feel very welcome,” said Haskell.
Haskell’s views on the effects of discrimination reflect the experience of openly gay Welsh rugby legend Gareth Thomas. He says he kept his sexuality secret and nearly committed suicide because language created a hostile environment.
“I am one of those who hid my sexuality for years because this kind of language created an environment where it seemed impossible to be accepted as a gay man. The good news is I don’t believe most people making these jokes and using these slurs are being intentionally homophobic. After I came out of the closet, many of my greatest supporters were teammates who, in the past, had made the most jokes about gay people,” wrote Thomas, in a foreword for the “Out on the Fields” study.
Welsh rugby star Alex Cuthbert, 25, says Thomas has helped people understand why this issue is important, “I think Gareth Thomas’s story has helped us all become more aware of the effects of homophobic language and banter. Society has changed and I don’t think this kind of language has any place in sport or anywhere else anymore.”
Meanwhile, former New Zealand All Black Josh Kronfeld says homophobic language is common among spectators, “The biggest issues would probably be driven by the fan base. There are dumb and ignorant people around.” Australian Wallabies star David Pocock has called the extent of homophobia discovered by the study “awful” and wants “more education through all levels of the game.” Pocock recently complained to a referee about homophobic slurs during a match, leading to a player being fined $20,000 by the Australian Rugby Union.
In Ireland, rugby legend Brian O’Driscoll and current players Cian Healy and Peter O’Mahony also back an end to discrimination against gay people. All three have urged people to vote ‘yes’ in their country’s upcoming same-sex marriage referendum.
Rugby legend John Eales, the most successful Wallaby captain in Australian history, is proud so many rugby players around the world are taking such a strong stance on discrimination against gay people. He also praised the commitment by World Rugby (formerly IRB) to “eliminate” homophobia from the game. (www.worldrugby.org/news/59705)“I think we were all surprised by the extent of homophobia that was found by the study but I am glad rugby is leading internationally on this issue. I think World Rugby’s commitment to eliminate homophobia from the game is very powerful. It will help end the problem because it sends a strong message to everyone involved in sport that homophobic language or any behaviour that makes people feel unwelcome is no longer acceptable,” said Eales.
Jeff Wilson, the London based Chairman of International Gay Rugby, signed the recent agreement with World Rugby Chairman Bernard Lapasset to “work together to educate and eliminate homophobia in rugby.”
“Unfortunately there are still alarming rates of discrimination in sport and I think we have a lot more work to do than we expected. However, despite its tough and macho image, I think rugby is very well placed to become the most inclusive and tolerant sport in the world. We are very grateful to have such strong support at all levels of the game, from the players up to the international leaders. I’m hopeful that rugby’s success will inspire other sports to also rid their games of discrimination,” said Jeff Wilson.
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Rugby Player Grabs BIG WILLIE
During a Rugby match seen live on Australian TV this weekend Newcastle rugby player Korbin Sims walked up to Eagles player Willie Mason and grabbed his balls.
The baffled commentators asked: “What is going on out there? ” as were others watching at home.
Mason, who has previously played alongside Sims, said said after the game he thought it was “hilarious”.
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Australian Gay Rugby Team Wins Their Professional Match
UK Sports Challenged to hold similar events after Australian gay team wins historic rugby game – International Rugby legends Gareth Thomas and John Eales call for end to discrimination.
Two international rugby legends are congratulating Australia’s first gay rugby union team for its decisive win during an historic game. They are also urging sports in the UK and around the world to do more to tackle homophobia in sport.
The Sydney Convicts were the first gay rugby team, and only the second gay team in the world, to play at a professional sporting event (the first was French soccer match in 2006).On Sunday, the Convicts beat the Macquarie University Warriors 30-12 during a ‘curtain raiser,’ a game held ahead of the international ‘Super Rugby’ match between the NSW Waratahs (AUS) and Highlanders (NZ) at Allianz Stadium.
Sydney Convicts Head Coach Charlie Winn said, ‘The curtain raiser was a once in a lifetime experience for the team and I’m proud we made the most of this historic opportunity to show gay men can and do play quality rugby. I hope we’ve opened the door to similar games being held in the future around the world.’International rugby superstar and former Wales captain Gareth Thomas is one of only two professional rugby players in the world to have come out of the closet. He came out in 2009. He said, ‘I congratulate the Sydney Convicts for winning this historic game, it certainly says a lot about the calibre of gay rugby teams around the world. Thankfully we are moving incredibly quickly toward attitudes changing about gay people and whether they can play tough sports like rugby. This may be the first gay team invited to play a curtain raiser but I hope it’s not the last. Rugby is a game for all shapes, sizes and personalities and it needs to be a game for everyone regardless of sexuality. I think rugby can lead the way in changing sporting culture and I’m very hopeful we’ll see more games like this in the UK and around the world.’
Another international rugby legend, John Eales, the most successful captain in Australian rugby history, agrees with Gareth Thomas. The retired Wallaby is also a ‘Bingham Cup Ambassador.’ He said, ‘I am very proud of the Convicts for making history while also challenging stereotypes around gay men. Sports can and must lead society and be welcoming for everyone. It’s always disappointing to hear stories of people who don’t play sports because they fear discrimination. I’m sure that by holding historic events like this weekend’s curtain raiser and taking other steps to publicly support gay people, we can help eradicate homophobia and discrimination in sport.’
This historic curtain raiser was part of a series of anti-homophobia initiatives led by Australian sporting organisations in partnership with organisers of next month’s Bingham Cup, the world cup of gay rugby, being held in Sydney. This includes the first international study on homophobia in sports, which is collecting experiences of people in the UK and other countries.
www.outonthefields.comMany of the Sydney Convicts players joined the gay and inclusive rugby team because they didn’t feel welcome on other teams. This included Jay Claydon, a winger who joined the Convicts after experiencing homophobia on his semi-professional rugby team. He was named ‘man of the match’ after the historic curtain raiser for scoring 3 tries.
Another player, scrum half Jason Fowler, played with the Macquarie University Warriors prior to joining the Sydney Convicts last season. Many of his former teammates only found out he was gay when he played against them as a Sydney Convict. ‘I saw a lot of guys on the field who I was afraid would reject me for being gay just two years ago. I’m amazed by how my life has come full circle and I can play against them now and be proud. In retrospect my sexuality was not as big a deal as I made it out in my head and my old teammates have been extremely supportive.’In addition to the curtain raiser game, a panel discussion on homophobia in sport was held during the pre-game show and a feature article on discrimination in sport ran in the program. A 30 second anti-homophobia video was also shown on the Jumbotron, featuring many well-known international athletes. This included Mitchell Johnson (Cricket), Ryan Harris (Cricket), Harry Kewell (Football), Alessandro Del Piero (Football), Paul Gallen (Rugby League), Nate Myles (Rugby League), David Pocock (Rugby Union), Lauren Jackson (Basketball), Nathan Jones (Australian Rules), Sam Mitchell (Australian Rules), Kim Green (Netball) and Libby Trickett (Swimming) The video can be viewed here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-G4mXUtmeZg
Australians are receiving strong international praise and recognition for their efforts to tackle homophobia. Les Johnson is Vice-President of Membership with the Federation of Gay Games, the world’s largest LGBT sporting organisation. “We applaud rugby and Australia’s other major sports for being trailblazers and for strongly supporting our community. The historic initiatives being led by Australians are significant developments in the worldwide effort to end discrimination and make sport welcoming and safe for all.”
More about the Bingham Cup: www.binghamcup.com
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Australia’s First Gay Rugby Team To Play First Professional Match
Australia’s first gay rugby union team (the Sydney Convicts) will make history when they become the first gay rugby team in the world to play as part of a professional match.
In fact, it’s only the second time in the world that a gay team has been invited to play a curtain raiser ahead of a professional game (the first time was at a French soccer game in 2006). The Sydney Convicts, which play in a mainstream rugby competition, will play against Macquarie University next Sunday afternoon ahead of the game between the NSW Waratahs (AUS) and the Highlanders (NZ) at Allianz Stadium. The event is part of wider efforts by both organisers of next month’s Bingham Cup as well as Australia’s professional sports to help end homophobia in Australia and around the world.
Nick Phipps plays for the Australian national team the “Wallabies” as well as the NSW Waratahs. He is also a strong supporter of the Bingham Cup Sydney 2014 said, “Sport is such a beautiful thing and in this day and age, there should be no discrimination at all. After getting to know some of the boys who play for the Sydney Convicts, they’re really good fellas and we want to help them as much as we can. Hopefully the fans also get behind the boys and show their full support, to end discrimination in sport and raise awareness about the Convicts as a team and what they stand for.”
Jason Fowler, a player with the Sydney Convicts, played with Macquarie University (the team the Convicts are playing) prior to joining the gay and inclusive rugby team. Many of his former teammates at Macquarie University didn’t find out he was gay until he played against them as a Sydney Convict. “Playing at Allianz is a once in a lifetime opportunity and the entire team is extremely proud and excited to be making history. For me, I’m amazed by how my life has come full circle. Just 2 years ago I was afraid to come out of the closet to my teammates, now I’m playing against them on a gay rugby team as part of a professional sporting event.”
David Whitaker, president of the Sydney Convicts said, “The Sydney Convicts are very excited and proud to be the first gay and inclusive rugby team to be invited to play as part of a professional sporting match. Often discrimination and homophobia is based on stereotypes that gay people are somehow weak and they can’t play tough sports like rugby. We hope this game helps to challenge these misconceptions while also raising awareness that homophobia in sport is still a major issue and gay people often still feel unwelcome,” says
Nick Farr-Jones is one of the most successful captains in Wallabies’ history. He’s also Chairman of NSW Rugby and a Bingham Cup Sydney 2014 Ambassador. He said, “NSW Rugby is proud to be a long-time supporter of the Sydney Convicts and their efforts to tackle homophobia. Rugby is very committed to making our sport welcoming to everyone, regardless of their sexuality. I hope this historic curtain raiser will help us continue to send a strong message that there is no room for discrimination of any kind in rugby, both on and off the field.”
As part of the event on Sunday, Allianz Stadium will air a 30 second anti-homophobia TV advertisement during the Waratahs/Highlanders game featuring some of the most well-known athletes in world sport. This includes Mitchell Johnson (Cricket), Ryan Harris (Cricket), Harry Kewell (Football), Alessandro Del Piero (Football), Paul Gallen (Rugby League), Nate Myles (Rugby League), David Pocock (Rugby Union), Lauren Jackson (Basketball), Nathan Jones (Australian Rules), Sam Mitchell (Australian Rules), Kim Green (Netball) and Libby Trickett (Swimming). The Waratahs will also run a feature article in the game program and include a panel discussion on homophobia in sport as part of their pre-game show.
This historic curtain raiser is one of three history making initiatives led by the Australian organisers of Bingham Cup Sydney 2014 to tackle homophobia in sports. In April, they organised a joint commitment by every major professional Australian sport to ‘eliminate’ homophobia. The sports signed an ‘Anti-homophobia and Inclusion Framework’ and challenged sporting organisations around the world to do the same. The second historic initiative was launching the first national and international study on homophobia in sport involving researchers from 6 universities from Canada, UK, USA and Australia. The study, called Out on the Fields, has already collected the stories and experiences of over 5000 LGBT people worldwide. Researchers hope more people will take part in the study, which can be found at www.outonthefields.com
Australians are receiving strong international praise and recognition for their efforts to change sporting culture. Les Johnson is Vice-President of Membership with the Federation of Gay Games, the world’s largest LGBT sporting organisation. “This is only the second time we’ve heard of a gay team being invited to be part of a professional sporting match and it’s a first for a gay rugby team. We applaud rugby and Australia’s other major sports for being trailblazers and for strongly supporting our community. The historic initiatives being led by Australians are significant developments in the worldwide effort to end discrimination and make sport welcoming and safe for all.”
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Rugby Brothers Back Homophobia In Sport Study
Rugby League Stars the Burgess Brothers support Gay friends and urge people to take part in new study on Homophobia in Sport.
Australian/UK Rugby League stars Sam and Thomas Burgess have joined their South Sydney Rabbitohs teammate, Greg Inglis, in calling for an end to homophobia in sport. Sam and Thomas Burgess have also recorded a video, to be distributed by the NRL and others, encouraging people to take 10 minutes to tell their story in the first national and international study on homophobia in sport.
“I don’t see why there should be any discrimination about colour, sexuality, your heritage or where you’re from. Sport is a great thing, and it brings people from all different aspects of life together, so why should your sexuality be a problem? The only way we are going to understand the issue is if people get out there and tell their story so we can help fix it,” said Sam Burgess.
Thomas Burgess agreed and said, “We have a lot of gay friends and think that discrimination in sport is old fashioned and there is no place for it. In this day and age, we shouldn’t be discriminating against anyone, for anything.”
The Burgess Brothers, who play for the team co-owned by Russel Crowe, say they are surprised there aren’t more openly gay players in professional sports. They say the study on homophobia in sports will help everyone understand why players don’t feel safe in coming out of the closet.
The study, called “Out on the Fields” is an initiative of the organisers of Bingham Cup Sydney 2014 and is first broad based Australian and international study on the issue of homophobia in sport. Participation is open to everyone regardless of sexuality. Those interested can visit www.outonthefields.com. Among other things, the study looks at whether people choose not to play team sports because of fear of discrimination as well as the prevalence of homophobia, such as slurs, among athletes and fans.
The support from the Burgess Brothers follows support from Greg Inglis, who attended an announcement last month by all the major, Australian professional sports who pledged to ‘eliminate’ homophobia. At the time Inglis said homophobia in sport needs to end, “If you stamp that out, then it will probably help players that come out a bit more. I’m a big believer, a firm believer, in respecting what others are and who they are. I’m definitely happy to put my hand up and be one of the leaders behind this great initiative.”
Andrew Purchas is a current player as well as founder of the Sydney Convicts Rugby Club, Australia’s first gay rugby team and president of the Bingham Cup Sydney 2014, the world cup of gay rugby. ‘Sam and Tom Burgess are highly respected locally and overseas for their no nonsense approach to football. Their support for their gay friends and recognition that the only way to eliminate homophobia is to talk about the issue and encourage people to tell their stories will send a strong message to players and fans. This is why it’s so important people take part in this study on homophobia in sport in Australia and around the world. We need to understand the extent of the problem so we can address it now and we have a baseline to track whether there have been any changes over the coming years. It only takes 10 minutes for people to take part in the study and share their story. We also appreciate that the NRL is tackling head on the issue of homophobia in sports. They responded swiftly and decisively to the recent homophobic slur during the U20 State of Origin match and recently became first football code to join Pride in Diversity, Australia’s peak body for employer GLBT programs.’
The Australian Sports Commission will conduct similar research on homophobia in future years. Out on the Fields is being conducted by sports research company Repucom. The results and final report will be reviewed by researchers at 6 universities around the world.
The study is at: www.outonthefields.com
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Europe’s Gay Rugby Champions Kick Of Championship Campaign
London’s Kings Cross Steelers set sights on Sydney victory Fundraising cabaret event at Heaven club on 19 April.
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The World’s First LGBT Rugby League Club Formed
The world’s first ever lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender Rugby League club, Manchester Canalsiders, has been officially launched last week.
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Leeds Rhinos to wear Stonewall branding
The Leeds Rhinos – rugby league’s defending Super League Champions and World Club Challenge 2012 winners – are teaming up with Stonewall to celebrate equality at a major fixture on 10 August. The Rhinos’ clash with the Widnes Vikings at Headingley will be dedicated to lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender equality, and the Rhinos will wear Stonewall’s logo on their match kit. The Rhinos are taking over from the Sheffield Eagles as the Rugby Football League’s LGB&T champions.