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Seven Manly Sea Eagles players have withdrawn from a National Rugby League match in Australia because they\u2019re unwilling to wear their club\u2019s inclusion jersey.<\/p>\n
The jersey has rainbow stripes and a rainbow collar \u2014 in place of the regular white sections \u2014 to support LGBTQ inclusion in sports, and the club plans to use it for one game against Sydney Roosters.<\/p>\n
Sea Eagles coach Des Hasler on Tuesday said seven players advised club officials that wearing the Pride jersey conflicts with their cultural and religious beliefs.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe players will not play on Thursday and we accept their decision,\u201d Hasler said. \u201cThese young men are strong in their beliefs and convictions and we will give them the space and support they require.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe playing group are solid and understanding of each other\u2019s views. As a club we will wear the jersey on Thursday night.\u201d<\/p>\n
Josh Aloiai, Jason Saab, Christian Tuipulotu, Josh Schuster, Haumole Olakau\u2019atu, Tolu Koula and Toafofoa Sipley are not available for selection on Thursday. NRL squads contain 13 starting players and four on the interchange bench for each game.<\/p>\n
Hasler apologized for the fallout which stemmed from the club\u2019s lack of advance consultation with the playing group.<\/p>\n
\u201cOur intent was to be caring towards all diverse groups who face inclusion issues daily,\u201d Hasler said. \u201cSadly this poor management has caused significant confusion, discomfort and pain for many people, in particular those groups whose human rights we in fact attempting to support.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe wish to apologize to the LGBTQ community who embrace the rainbow colors, who use these colors for pride and advocacy and human rights issues.\u201d<\/p>\n
Australian Rugby League Commission chairman Peter V\u2019landys said he understood the players\u2019 choices, based on religious and cultural differences, but pushed for inclusion and acceptance in the sport.<\/p>\n
\u201cOne thing I take pride in with rugby league is we treat everyone the same,\u201d V\u2019landys said. \u201cIt doesn\u2019t matter your color, sexual orientation or race. We\u2019re all equal.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe\u2019ll never take a backward step in having our sport inclusive. But at the same time we will not disrespect our players\u2019 freedoms.\u201d<\/p>\n
The NRL does not have a designated Pride round, but V\u2019landys said it could be a consideration for future seasons.<\/p>\n
Andrew Purchas, co-founder of the Pride In Sport program that supports Australian sports clubs in aspects of inclusion, acknowledged the apology from the Sea Eagles.<\/p>\n
\u201cConversation, education and building understanding are key to respectfully moving forward on these important discussions in our communities,\u201d Purchas said in a statement. \u201cAt its most basic, a Pride jersey signals a fundamental value: everyone should feel safe to play.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe strongly support the NRL in its endeavors to continue to uphold values associated with inclusivity, safety and belonging, and we would urge all people to think about these as non-controversial values we can unify around.\u201d<\/p>\n
The Sea Eagles are in ninth place in the NRL, one spot below the Roosters. The top eight teams qualify for the playoffs.<\/p>\n
Manly was the only club planning to wear a pride jersey in this round.<\/p>\n
Former Manly forward Ian Roberts, who in the 1990s was the first high-profile rugby league player to come out as gay, said he was not surprised by the players\u2019 decision.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt hasn\u2019t totally shocked me like it\u2019s shocking everyone else,\u201d he told the Sydney Morning Herald. \u201cAs an older gay man I\u2019m used to this. I expected there would be some sort of religious pushback.\u201d<\/p>\n
The jersey boycott dominated coverage of the NRL after it was reported late Monday by Sydney\u2019s Daily Telegraph, with criticism both for the boycott and for the club\u2019s lack of consultation with players.<\/p>\n
The newspaper said players were not aware they would be expected to wear the jersey until after it was shown to the media.<\/p>\n
NRL rules would not allow the seven players to wear an alternate jersey without the rainbow messaging because match regulations require all players in a team to wear an identical strip.<\/p>\n
The pride jerseys were a hit with fans, with local media reporting the club had sold out of initial stock of all men\u2019s and women\u2019s sizes.<\/p>\n
Players in other sports previously have refused to wear jerseys with advertising or messages which conflict with their beliefs. In 2016, cricketer Fawad Ahmed was allowed to play in a jersey which did not carry the logo of the Australian team\u2019s beer sponsor because of his objection to alcohol for religious reasons.<\/p>\n
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