A gay rugby league player has said he has witnessed ‘much happier’ things in changing rooms than the pride of the Manly Sea Eagles jersey.
Seven freshman Manly players boycotted Thursday night’s showdown against the Roosters over allegations that the club incorporated the LGBT+ rainbow into a one-off jersey as it goes against their religious beliefs.
The boycott has attracted the attention of the world, with former rugby league player Keegan Hirst among others to speak out on the matter.
Hirst was the first British professional rugby league footballer to come out as gay in 2015 and has since built a career around helping ‘gay men build incredible bodies, a rock-solid mindset and unstoppable confidence’.
The athlete took to Twitter on Wednesday and said he would be proud to wear the first pride jersey in NRL history – adding that scenes he had seen in the competition’s locker rooms were “much brighter” than rainbow stripes.
The divisive move has captured the world’s attention with former rugby league player Keegan Hirst (pictured), one of the latest athletes to weigh in on the ongoing saga
The athlete took to Twitter on Wednesday and said he would be proud to wear the first pride jersey in NRL history and that the men’s locker rooms were ‘much more cheerful’
‘Hello @SeaEagles. I would be honored to wear your Pride shirt. Just like all your players. Shame on those who aren’t,” he tweeted.
“The irony of the @SeaEagles Pride/player boycott saga is that I know what goes on in RL’s locker rooms.
“And a lot of it would be MUCH gayer than a rainbow on a sweater.”
Hirst went on to tell his 23,000 followers that religious belief is a choice.
“If religious beliefs meant that someone wouldn’t play with black players, we would say ‘it’s their religion, it’s okay.’ No, we wouldn’t,’ he said. ‘Discrimination is discrimination.’
Hirst wondered what it would feel like to be a gay kid who wants to play rugby league and to see that they might not be accepted by their teammates.
A rugby league player has said he has witnessed ‘much happier’ things in the men’s changing rooms than the pride of the Manly Sea Eagles jersey (pictured)
Keegan Hirst was the first British professional rugby league footballer to come out as gay in 2015 and has since built his career around helping ‘gay men build incredible bodies, a rock-solid mindset and unstoppable confidence’
“The sport is not as inclusive as she likes to think. Symbolism is important. If it wasn’t, those players wouldn’t care,” he said of the “Manly seven.”
He also believes that it is hypocritical of players to refuse to wear a jersey with the cheerful rainbow design while playing for a club whose main sponsor is a gambling company Pointsbet and whose home ground is named after the beer Four Pines.
While the Bible condemns homosexuality, it also contains passages that condemn drinking and the pursuit of money.
“I’d like to know what religious and cultural beliefs keep you from wearing a shirt with a rainbow, but not a shirt that promotes gambling, etc.” He wrote.
The boycotting players were advised to stay clear of the game against rival South Sydney at Manly’s home ground on Sydney’s Northern Beaches.
Josh Aloiai, Jason Saab, Christian Tuipulotu, Josh Schuster, Haumole Olakau’atu, Tolutau Koula and Toafofoa Sipley have been warned of security concerns following advice from NSW Police.
Six of the seven players were of Pacific Island heritage, while Jason Saab has a mixed Indigenous and Nigerian background with a Lebanese stepfather.
Hirst (pictured) pointed to the hypocrisy of the Manly Seven who refused to wear a sweater with an inclusive message but gladly wore brands that sanctioned gambling or drinking alcohol
Male star Kieran Foran models the rainbow jersey that saw seven of his teammates boycott Thursday’s game against the Roosters for being inconsistent with their cultural and religious beliefs
Brisbane Broncos and Queensland Origin legend Sam Thaiday said earlier on Thursday he would have no problem with the jersey if he were still playing.
“100 percent, I would wear it loud and proud,” Thaiday told the Today show.
“This is a debate that has been going on all week. I literally have an ulcer between my legs because I’m on the fence with this in the sense that I have to be inclusive and respect the players who have decided not to wear the jersey.
“But well done to the 17 players who are running out for Manly tonight and wearing that jersey. They start a conversation in rugby league. Hopefully it is a step forward into the future and see what will happen in the future.’
Speaking to Sky News Australia, Zali Steggall, the independent member of the Warringah federal electorate that occupies the Manly area, stated that the attitude of the boycotting players was caused more by “macho masculinity” than Christian beliefs.
“I’d like to know what religious and cultural beliefs keep you from wearing a shirt with a rainbow, but not a shirt that promotes gambling, etc.” former rugby league player Keegan Hirst tweeted on Wednesday
“Personally, I find their position quite hypocritical as they take a stance on inclusion but have no problem with gambling or alcohol (plates) on their jerseys,” she said Thursday.
“I feel like this isn’t about religion, I think this is some kind of macho masculinity that needs to be addressed within the rugby league.”
The problem could not have cropped up at a worse time for Manly with the Sea Eagles and Roosters on either side of the top-eight dividing line.
Manly was already missing players for the showdown with the eighth-seeded Roosters, who are slightly higher up the ladder on pros and cons.
Manly is the only club to wear a pride jersey this weekend, making it the first team in the league’s 114 year history to wear such a design.
Male wingers Jason Saab (left) and Christian Tuipulotu (right) are among those who oppose wearing the jersey on religious grounds
Coach Des Hasler (pictured) and Sea Eagles general manager of football John Bonasera contacted the seven players on Wednesday to tell them to stay home on Thursday on the advice of the NSW Police Department
The historic jersey celebrates inclusivity, replacing traditional white piping with rainbow lines.
The shirt was sold out in the men’s, women’s and children’s section of Manly’s website just hours after the player boycott.
It is clear that Manly players only got to see the shirt design on Monday, despite it being more than 12 months in the making at the club.
Many have criticized the club for throwing it at the players without any notice.
Sea Eagles coach Des Hasler acknowledged that the situation was a farce and that the playgroup should have been consulted before the club launched their historic rainbow jersey.
“They (seven players) are not wearing the jersey because it goes against their cultural and religious beliefs,” Hasler said.
Manly prop Josh Aloiai is one of seven Manly stars who will not play Thursday night because of wearing the pride jersey
‘And I’m concerned about their (mental) well-being. Their spirituality is a central part of their well-being. The club made a mistake from which they will learn.’
Hasler went on to make “sincere apologies” to minority community groups, the 15 other NRL clubs, the LGBTQ community as a whole and the Australian Rugby League Commission in what quickly ended in fiasco.
‘The implementation of what was to be an extremely important initiative was poor. There was little consultation or collaboration between key stakeholders, both inside and outside the club,” he added.
“Unfortunately, this poor mismanagement has caused great confusion, discomfort and pain for many people.
“We’ve even had a negative impact on our playgroup, a wonderful group of people from many different races and cultural backgrounds.”