Sheffield Eagles general manager Liam Claffey has spoken out about Catalans Dragons’ signing of Israel Folau (pictured).
In an interview with Fox Sports, Claffey spoke about his own experiences of coming out as a teenager, and says he would have liked the RFL to be able to block the signing following Folau’s homophobic social media posts.
Claffey said: “I came out when I was 18.
“We’re allowing someone with these views into the sport which will, I’m pretty sure, have an effect on younger people who are still nervous about coming out in working-class northern towns.
“Primarily, that’s what our sport is.
“I would’ve liked the RFL to have the discretion to say: ‘No, you can’t sign him’.
“Last year they came out and said they wouldn’t let clubs sign Ben Barba. I don’t see what the change in attitude has been.
“If he’d said similar things about someone’s race or religion, would he have been given this opportunity to work in the sport? I don’t think so.
“He’s got his views and if he was to apologise, I think you’d like to see him educated to understand what he said and how it’s affected people.
“People talk about the other things he listed, but being an adulterer or drinking alcohol is a choice.
“For me, being gay is not a decision, it’s what you are.
“What he said was disgusting for me, and it’s heartbreaking that the sport and the coverage of it has been dragged into this.”