There has been a question that I have
wanted to ask of late, Are Gay Rugby players welcomed in the “locker room”? With
all the talk of Michael Sam and Jason Collins, some being good and some negative the American media is all over this, which leads me to the point. Being involved
with Rugby for just about 7 years now, playing and coaching, I’ve always been told
that rugby is an accepting sport and we will take anyone regardless of size and
playing experience. But I’ve always wondered what about your sexual orientation; yes
I know there is Gay Rugby Clubs such as SF Fog, Washington Renegades and
others, but how does the general census feel toward a gay team mate.
Is America
also ready for a gay Rugger?
So I’ve reached out to a few Rugby Writers here in America
that spends a lot of time covering the game a various different levels. So I asked a few simple questions and here are
their responses.
Hedley Lagrand : A Rugby Life
Grant Cole: Ruck Bottom
Curtis Reed: This Is American rugby
Ted Hardy: Rugby America
Kevin Sullivan: Rucking Insurance
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LLR- Is America ready for a gay rugby player, since we don’t
have a pro league I’m asking about on the National teams, sevens and fifteens
women’s and men’s ?
Hedley Lagrand: I think that ship has already set sail. We already have openly gay rugby players here
who have played for the Eagles. Phaidra
Knight has represent the US 33 times and played in three Rugby World Cups, and
she is certainly not alone out there.
Grant Cole: What the American rugby community is or is not
ready for with regard to this issue is irrelevant. Gay men and women have
already performed admirably on both the 7s and XVs NTs.
Curtis Reed: Yes. I've always found that rugby players are
open as long as you can play. I also think the public feels the same way. If
you can produce it doesn't matter. Also, I highly doubt the public or teammates
would blame a bad performance on sexual orientation. There have been people
with same-sex attraction on national teams before and it hasn't been a problem.
Ted Hardy: Absolutely. I don't think it would be an issue at
all. I'm certain there are some in our elite player pool already. It's just a
matter of whether that is something that they wish to share publicly. As far as
the rugby community goes, I don't believe it would be an issue at all.
Kevin Sullivan: Rugby has been "gay" since the
90s.Ian Roberts and nobody cares.
Nigel Owens, best ref in the World, gay.
Nobody cares.
_____________________________________________________________________
LLR-Are Gay Players, men or females accepted in any club or
just on Gay specific clubs?
HL: For every team I have played for or had the opportunity
to coach, gay players were always made welcome.
The Washington Renegades in DC was actually one of the first rugby teams
in the US to actively recruit gay players.
They compete competitively in the PRU division 3, where they are
currently top of the division, and take part in biennial IGRAB Bingham
Cup. The same can be said for any of the
major women’s clubs like New York and Berkeley. Playing rugby and being gay are
not mutually exclusive here.
GC: This question is asked out of context. We should be
asking why there are still rugby clubs in the US that are exclusionary based on
sexual-orientation. These clubs are fewer and farther between today than 15
years ago and that's the way it should be. Rugby is the ultimate egalitarian sport
and that should never change.
CR: As far as I know they are. It may be that gay players
feel more comfortable with a gay-specific club, which maybe says something
about other clubs.
TH: I'd like to believe that they would be accepted in any
club. Every women's club that I've ever been around has their share of openly
gay players and it has always been a non-issue. Rugby is very much a
merit-based sport. Players come from all socio-economic backgrounds and earn
their positions on the pitch. Your race, religion, or sexual preference has
nothing to do with whether you can run and tackle.
KS: In Norcal, I can't think of a single Men's team that
does NOT have at least one gay player.
Again, nobody cares. (Women's rugby has plenty of Lesbians... again,
nobody cares.) Rugby players are judged by their ability to play rugby, and
pretty much nothing else. Why do you
think so many weirdo’s come to our sport?
Ha! Fog is not a gay team,
they're just open to gay players, and tend to recruit from that population, see
their mission statement.
____________________________________________________________________
LLR- In the next 5-10 years American will have its own
Professional Rugby Competition, will the rugby community shun a gay player on a
team or will the community not care and rather focus on that player playing
skills?
HL: Outside of the US, rugby already has openly gay players
like Gareth Thomas and Ian Roberts, plus Nigel Owens, one the world’s most well
renowned rugby referees. If you are
talented player, I don't think it isn't going to matter to the rugby community
if you are gay or not.
GC: In 5-10 years, Americans won't care about
sexual-orientation in public. If the player can play the game brilliantly, such
differences will not matter.
CR: I highly doubt the rugby community would shun a player
if they can play.
TH: I think the public, in general, is accepting of openly
gay athletes. I believe the old-school governance of some sports is what
creates the issue. The reason I refer to the general public is when/if
professional rugby comes to America the indoctrinated rugby community will only
make up about 5% of the fan base. The fans that will be needed to support
professional rugby will come from a much broader base of the American public.
That said, I still don't believe it would be a major issue. The reason it seems
to be such an issue is that people love to make it an issue.
KS: Will Rugby go pro in America is a tougher question, than
whether they'll be an openly gay player.
To me, Rugby doesn't care.
____________________________________________________________________
This past Thursday in San Jose, CA, I attended the showing
of The Rugby Player. “Timely film provides
keen insights for the national debates on LGBT rights, marriage equality and
gay athletes in sports.” Let me just
say I highly recommend finding a showing closes to your area and go see it! At the
end of it you will feel like you yourself knew Mark Bingham personally.
If having a Homosexual
team mate isn’t such a big deal at all for those of us in the rugby community
and with the national teams known to have a player or two, then why do the
media and these “Big 4” leagues have to create such a media storm about such
players coming out. Why is there a
instant fear of backlash in the locker rooms, when we’ve never cared. How and
why is rugby so different from other sports?
Jason Collins and Michael Sam are true pioneers for any Gay
athlete in America who wants to pursue a professional career, and why the heck
shouldn’t they be allowed to! But let’s not forget that around the world they
aren’t the only professional players to come out, Gareth Thomas ( Wales/British
& Irish Lions) , Louisa wall (New Zealand Netball & Rugby), David
Wilson ( Canada figure skating), Stephen Rhodes (American Stock car
racing).
The goal of all this is plain and simple, we as a society
need to move on and get over the Homophobia. Can you play? That should be the
only question to ever be asked, judge on playing skills not sexual orientation
or any other views. Whether you are Black, white, Straight or gay, Jewish or
atheist we will hit you and ruck over just the same as the next person and then
after we will want to grab a pint with you.
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