Syv spillere var imot å bruke pride-trøya på “religiøse og kulturelle” grunner og droppet ut av julis NRL-kamp mot Sydney Roosters; Manly forblir åpen for å bruke skjorten igjen neste sesong
Sist oppdatert: 21/10/22 08:31
Tolutau Koula var blant spillerne som boikottet en NRL-kamp tidligere denne sesongen i stedet for å ha på seg en regnbue-dekorert trøye
To av de syv Manly-spillerne som nektet å bruke en “pride”-trøye i Australias National Rugby League (NRL) har brutt tausheten sin på furore, og sa at de håper folk kan respektere avgjørelsen deres og gå videre.
Spillerne sto ned fra en NRL-kamp mot Sydney Roosters i juli på religiøse og kulturelle grunner i stedet for å bære den regnbuedekorerte trøya, som var ment å symbolisere inkludering.
Boikotten deres, som hadde trenerens velsignelse, utløste en ildstorm av kritikk fra LHBTQ+-grupper og satte i gang en debatt om hvordan man kan balansere religionsfrihet med inkludering.
To av boikotterne, Manly-spissen Haumole Olakau’atu og lagkameraten Tolutau Koula, så tilbake på episoden som en vanskelig tid, men beklaget ikke standpunktet sitt.
“Jeg vet ikke hva annet jeg skal si. Jeg håper alle bare respekterer avgjørelsen vår og går videre,” sa 24 år gamle Olakau’atu til Sydneys Daily Telegraph etter å ha trent med Tonga i Rugby League World Cup i England. “Troen min kommer først foran alt. Det er den jeg er.”
Etter boikotten hadde fansen skilt for å støtte de syv spillerne som hadde boikottet på grunn av deres kulturelle og religiøse tro.
Manlys daværende trener Des Hasler, som ble sparket etter at laget tapte sine siste syv kamper for sesongen, forsvarte de syv spillerne og sa at klubben hadde unnlatt å konsultere dem ordentlig før de gikk offentlig ut med trøyeinitiativet.
Olakau’atu sa at han hadde ringt foreldrene sine da han fikk vite om trøya.
“De sa bare å følge hjertet mitt. Det gjorde det 10 ganger lettere, spesielt å vokse opp i en religiøs familie,” sa han.
Koula sa at han hadde forsøkt å unngå å se på sosiale medier etter boikotten.
Noen fans kom med skilt for å støtte LHBTQ+-fellesskapet etter boikotten
“Det var litt hat der ute, men jeg prøvde å ikke være for mye oppmerksom på det,” sa 20-åringen.
Med mer enn halvparten av deres start-13 tapte, tapte Manly hjemmekampen 20-10 til Roosters. De syvs boikott varte bare for den kampen, og de kom tilbake til banen etterpå, men Manly tapte ytterligere fem kamper på rad for å gå glipp av sluttspillet.
Media rapporterte at boikotten forårsaket en rift i garderoben, men Koula sa at spillegruppen forble “tight” gjennom tapsrekka.
“Det har aldri vært et skille,” sa han. “Jeg tror alt som skjedde førte alle nærmere hverandre. Vi hadde hverandres rygg.”
Roberts etterlyser mer diskusjon innen NRL
Den tidligere Manly-spilleren Ian Roberts, den første åpent homofile NRL-spilleren – sa etter boikotten tidligere i år at han håper det kan føres større diskusjoner om inkludering innen sporten.
Tidligere Manly-spiller Ian Roberts, den første åpent homofile NRL-spilleren, sa i juli at han håper kontroversen rundt pride-skjorten deres vekker mer diskusjon om LHBTQ+-representasjon i sporten
“Da Manly kunngjorde at de hadde en stolthetsrunde, var det fantastiske nyheter for meg,” sa han i juli. “Jeg ble kontaktet for å se om jeg ville være involvert i noen form for publisitet, og jeg var helt med. Det var en utrolig fin opplevelse.
“Det er nok ikke slik vi ønsket at denne samtalen skulle starte, men vi har denne samtalen nå. Så jeg ser det på en positiv måte.
“Jeg ville elske, gitt muligheten, å kunne sette meg ned rundt et bord med de gutta og bare ha en samtale med dem.
“Jeg vil ikke begynne å sitere all den forferdelige statistikken vi vet om LHBTQ+-samfunnet med selvskading og den typen ting, men det er den typen konsekvenser som kommer når det er tilbakeslag med ting som dette.”
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