WORLD RUGBY [FORMERLY known as the IRB] has signed an agreement to collaborate with International Gay Rugby [IGR] on the promotion of equality in the sport.
World Rugby says the agreement with IGR “outlines a commitment between the two organisations to work together to educate and eliminate homophobia in rugby.”
Both parties signed the agreement at World Rugby House on Dublin’s Pembroke Street this week.
IGR chairman Jeff Wilson called this a “momentous occasion” for Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender [LGBT] athletes, pointing to World Rugby as a “trail-blazer” in committing to eliminating homophobia in rugby.
The agreement was termed “historic” by World Rugby chairman Bernard Lapasset, who underlined that rugby is an inclusive sport.
In a World Rugby statement on the new agreement, IGR and rugby’s governing body agreed that it is “the right of any player, official and spectator to be involved with rugby without discrimination on the grounds of sexual orientation or identification.”
There is also an agreed common goal of “inclusion and the elimination of homophobia in rugby.”
2014 saw a gay rugby team play on the same bill as a professional match for the first time in world rugby, when the Sydney Convicts faced Macquarie University in the curtain-raiser to a Super Rugby game between the Waratahs and Highlanders in Sydney.
This agreement marks another forward step for equality in rugby.
This is a momentous occasion for LGBT athletes, supporters, officials and administrators and the people who support them in the game of rugby,” said IGR chairman Wilson.
“World Rugby is a trail-blazer as a global governing body in committing to actively eliminate homophobia from any sport. We are committed to partnering with World Rugby to continue our work of making rugby the most inclusive and tolerant sport in the world.
“The bold step by World Rugby to commit to these shared purposes with IGR reflects the character-building values that are important to us all in the sport. Hopefully, other sporting governing bodies can look to World Rugby as a role model and follow suit.”
- First published 09.36, then updated 16.00.
Why have a separate organisation at all? Is a gay rugby player not simply a rugby player?
Normally I’d agree with your point but I think the IGR is for gay-only teams, not just general rugby players who happen to be gay. What this may be designed to do is to allow closeted gay players in ‘mainstream’ rugby to come out so the game as a whole continues to be more tolerant and you’d imagine once that happens that World Rugby would subsume IGR.
The issue is less at a high level but probably more grass roots – the idea of having a gay-only league or team could be appealing to a young gay man who wants to play rugby without fear of persecution etc.
Exactly! Highlighting a difference between rugby players in terms of sexuality is pretty ridiculous. Who the hell keeps funding these homophobia social training groups? Why is it constantly pushed?
Does grabbing a man’s crotch make you gay? Shoving ure head as close to his genitals as possible without undressing? Rolling around on the ground with a group of men getting all sweaty & excited? I think IGR is just rugby returning to its roots – surely there should be a bigger push to convince straight men they can play rugby & be secure in their heterosexuality.
Ffs absolutely when is this lbgt nonsense going to stop, when are we going to have lbgt biscuits, lbgt toast machines, lbgt cars, oh the injustice
Well I see someone got an extra helping of their Bigot-Os this morning, Johnny boy…
Ive never had a problem, the need 4 these sep teams is gone (even if it wasnt we wont get acceptence by hiding in segregated teams) Self segregation is an odd way to promote inclusion. Homophobia and sterotypes only get busted by us mixing more, having separate bars, sports teams etc is totally moronic this day in age, not to mention unnesscary
Oh graham how funny of you, bigot, wa wa wa wa wa wa
@Ryan, I can’t say that you’re necessarily wrong, but unfortunately bigotry and homophobia don’t disappear with a wave of a wand. I probably wouldn’t even have gotten into the sport of rugby if it weren’t for the Emerald Warriors, so having a safe, supportive and welcoming environment definitely helped me make the choice.
(As the perpetual homophobic johnny boy demonstrates quite adroitly).
@johnny, u appear on every gay related story bitching and complaining that it is being covered etc etc. Nobody is forcing you to click in and comment, the lady doth protest too much comes to mind.
@ Brian – he probably works for Beulah Printing – they’re having a slow day at the office today, I understand. ;)
Its LGBT-Q now Johnny, the grand committee for the advancement of the homosexual agenda added a Q for ‘questioning’ in the hope that hunky str8 guys would suddenly start to doubt and test to see what they were into, the results were poor so were replacing with an S next year and redefining bi to ‘anyone who has ever come into physical contact with a member of the same gender”.
Help help help I’m under insult ice attack from the lbgtq mafia
Ah sorry for being so reasonable in my original reply Ryan – I forgot you were an ass.
Sleeping with the fishes will probably be a step up from sleeping alone, Johnny boy.
I see you cant recognise when somones joking graham, dont take it all 2 seriously youll make yourself miserable.
My point is sexuality has no more to do with sport than hair color there is zero logic in seperate teams, i mean what possible reason could any1 come up with
I also wasnt suggesting a magic wand. I was suggesting mixing is better than hiding, make them get used to u as bob their sound, easy going teammate with a fun sense of humor instear of ‘that other’ on that other team
When i met teammates, we talked about what college we went 2, school, neighborhoods we eere from, if id play b4..none of them said “so yeah Blackrock with a start in pres best forgotten then ucd where im studying commerce..oh and i like pussy”.
Valid point Joe, i guess you could argue that in an attempt to break down barriers, integrate and promote understanding and tolerance, this actively promotes separation.
Take it for what it is…………the most manly of sports not being afraid to be to show that there’s no difference. Personally I’m delighted that there is acceptance that there is no difference between people regardless of there personal choices. The only sad thing is that there is a feeling of necessity to publicise/ announce it! That said………
WELL DONE RUGBY!
Setting up a separate organisation for gay players, separate teams for gay players and separate tournaments for gay players is not a way to get equality in sport.
It draws awarenss yes but is awareness what is needed. The fact that Nigel Owens thinks fellas are good looking isnt remotely relevant when he refs a 6 Nations game.
Surely merely by having an International Gay Rugby association are they not undermining the very thing they want to achieve. I.e. That it isn’t a big deal what a persons sexuality is.
Scrums will be a laugh.
They’ll take forever .
Who’s going to tick the mick out of Gareth Thomas or Nigel Owens who just take’s the mick in general. I applaud this attitude who know’s how many sporting hero’s we missed out on throughout the years due to prejudice’s in sport across the board. As long as they hit hard and contribute to the team who caress what else they do.
I’m going to get plenty of thumbs down for this, but this strikes me as yet another example of rugby being unable to pat itself on its back without having a dig at other sports. Why the need for reference to other sports? John Eales did the same in this same context last year saying its only right that rugby takes the lead in this area as it’s more inclusive than other sports due to accommodating all shapes and sizes. It’s also a very exclusive sport (and not in the oft cited economic sense). No other sport in my university had a clique that you were either in or out of. But that’s not the point – it’s that this announcement is diminished in my eyes due to the need to bring other games into it. It looks like a calculated PR gimmick.
Is rugby really taking the lead? There has been a gay World Cup in football for years for example, and a world gay games in athletics. There’s a prominent gay soccer team in Dublin (the Devils) and likewise in London (Stonewall FC) and many more around the world.
LGBT discrimination is less prominent in sport and society than it used to be, which is fantastic. I was at a talk at Birkbeck College recently on this topic, where LGBT members of the audience who have been going to football for decades say there has never been a more welcoming time to be a gay fan. The PFA believe a top footballer coming out while currently playing is imminent. The battle hasn’t been won in any sport but it is being won. The Irish woman who runs Kick It Out agrees.
Is it a bad thing that different sporting organisations are trying to compete to be more inclusive?
Petty point scoring over other sports just smacks of insecurity to me.
I agree with the point below that having a separate body for LGBT rugby would seem to actually undermine the principle of there being no difference. However, if it helps to address discrimination then no complaints.
Are there any “transgender” athletes?
Why wouldn’t there be?
Well there couldn’t be transsexuals for obvious reasons. I suppose you could have someone like Bruce Jenner who might think of themselves as different than what they are. I don’t know exactly what the term ‘transgender’ encompasses
What – you can be transsexual or you can be an athlete, but not both?
A six foot 4 former male boxer now a six foot 4 female boxer goes up against a regular woman boxer who going to win.
So you’re saying that they shouldn’t be allowed to compete at any level? Try telling that to your fictional formerly male six foot 4 boxers face.
There was an issue I remember a few years ago of a martial arts competition for women where the winner was MTF trans, and their opponents were not told. Seasoned fans watching felt she had poor technique compared to her competition, but was winning on raw power, and given the difference in skeltal and muscular build between someone born as a man or a woman, they certainly had an advantage over the competition.
It’s a sticky subject.
Sorry I just don’t get it , this just creates a division . Aren’t we all just the same , doesn’t matter if you are gay , lesbian , straight or whatever ?
The gay rugby organisation already exists (for whatever reasons). Nobody is pushing people out of mainstream rugby.
But mainstream rugby needs to be vigilant as there are some homophobic attitudes out there (and have been heard in the terraces).
I think we are lucky that the best rugby ref is also a gay man – I think this helps to keep the focus on being inclusive.
Alan.
BTW what the hell is GAY rugby I though there was just rugby..that women and me played Oh! well I must be homowhatsit so!
Sick listening about lgbt,even this shows they are different so vote no in referendum
I can’t wait to hear what the testosterone fueled beer guzzlers have to say next time there is a match on telly, it’s bad enough listening to them giving out about football but this will be brilliant, can’t wait, move over there twinkle toes
I think the biggest problems with any group is other groups acting as if they are different from them. Instead of celebrating the difference, how about celebration what they share.
When you starting focusing on what is different you are in my view judging who people are?
Its a load of bollix …or is it