It concerns at least seven players from the rugby club Manly in Sydney who refuse to wear the special Pride shirt, reports The Sydney Morning Herald. The shirt was to be worn on Thursday during a national rugby match against the Roosters, another team from Sydney.
Coach understands players
According to the Australian newspaper, the coach has said he understands the players’ ‘difficult position’. He supports the players’ decision not to play in the jersey. However, the situation has not yet been resolved.
–
–
The T-shirts were delivered yesterday grand presentation by various rugby players. Online the shirts were sold out within a day.
One of the club’s top men spoke of a ‘fantastic performance’. For him, the shirts were ‘an important message that means a lot to many people’.
Phone red hot
According to the Australian newspaper, several rugby players did not know at that time that they had to play in the shirts. When that became clear, the telephone at the rugby club management was red hot. Seven players decided not to participate in the game against the Roosters for ‘religious or cultural reasons’.
–
–
Ajax has less trouble with the Gay Pride. Last year, in the run-up to the final of the Johan Cruyff Scale, players of the team wore special uniforms showing the colors of the Pride:
–
–
It is still unclear how the Australian club will solve the problem. The club management would have discussed the table with the players, but that has yielded nothing.
Also, it is not possible for part of the team to play with the Pride shirt while other players play in the original uniform. Australian regulations require all athletes on a team to wear the same.
‘Not shocked’
Australian rugby player Ian Roberts, who came out in the 1990s, says he is not shocked by the players’ reaction. “As an older gay man I’m used to this,” he told the Australian newspaper. “I expected that the T-shirt would be criticized.”
–
–
