Sydney, Australia-
Seven Manly Sea Eagles players have withdrawn from a National Rugby League match because they are unwilling to wear their club’s Pride jersey.
The shirt features rainbow stripes and a rainbow collar to support LGBTQ2S+ inclusion in sports, and the club plans to wear it for a major game against the Sydney Roosters.
Sea Eagles coach Des Hasler said Tuesday that seven players have told club officials that wearing the Pride jersey conflicts with their cultural and religious beliefs.
“The players will not play on Thursday and we accept their decision,” Hasler said. “These young people are strong in their beliefs and convictions and we will give them the space and support they need.
“The playing group is solid and understands the points of view of others. As a club we will wear the jersey on Thursday night.”
Josh Aloiai, Jason Saab, Christian Tuipulotu, Josh Schuster, Haumole Olakau’atu, Tolu Koula and Toafofoa Sipley are not available for selection on Thursday. NRL teams contain 13 starting players and four on the trade bench.
Hasler apologized for the consequences of the club’s lack of prior consultation with the players.
“In this specific case, I feel for these players. Not included in any of the discussions and, at the very least, they should have been consulted,” Hasler told a news conference. “The intent of the shirt was to support advocacy and human rights related to gender, race, culture, ability, and LGBTQ movements.”
Hasler said the “poor” execution had overshadowed what was intended to be a major initiative.
“We want to apologize to the LGBTQ community that embraces the colors of the rainbow, that wears these colors for Pride and advocacy and human rights,” he said.
Australian Rugby League Commission Chairman Peter V’landys said he understood player choices, based on religious and cultural differences, but pushed for inclusion and acceptance in the sport.
“One thing I’m proud of in rugby league is that we treat everyone equally,” said V’landys. “It doesn’t matter your color, sexual orientation or race. We are all the same.
“We will never take a step back to make our sport inclusive. But at the same time we will not disrespect the freedoms of our players.”
The NRL does not have a designated Pride round, but V’landys said that could be a consideration for future seasons.
The Eagles are in ninth place in the NRL, one place the Roosters. The top eight teams qualify for the playoffs.
Manly were the only club planning to wear a Pride jersey in this round.
Former Manly striker 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’ decision.
“It hasn’t totally shocked me like it has everyone else,” he told the Sydney Morning Herald. “As an older gay man, I’m used to this. I was hoping there would be some kind of religious pushback.”
The jersey boycott dominated NRL coverage after it was reported by Sydney’s Daily Telegraph on Monday night.
The newspaper said the players did not know they would be expected to wear the jersey until after it was shown to the media.
NRL rules would not allow players to wear an alternate jersey without the rainbow message because match rules require all players on a team to wear an identical jersey.
Players in other sports have previously refused to wear jerseys with advertising or messages that contradict their beliefs. In 2016, cricketer Fawad Ahmed was allowed to play in a jersey that did not bear the logo of the Australian team’s sponsoring beer due to his objection to alcohol on religious grounds.