NRL Rules Out Pride Round For 2023

[Sports Prophet]

Give me an Inclusivity styled round any day, but not a Pride round.

https://www.abc.net.au/news/2023-03-14/nrl-rules-out-pride-round-for-2023/102095068

[Jughead]

I’m all for giving players the opportunity to make themselves look like utter morons, so it’s a shame the pride round won’t be back. 

[StandOffHalf]

Probably for the best.

Allies are free to wear rainbow laces, etc. in Gay Pride Month. No need at all to force those who don't wish to promote it to take part.

[Spidey]

48 minutes ago, StandOffHalf said:

Probably for the best.

Allies are free to wear rainbow laces, etc. in Gay Pride Month. No need at all to force those who don't wish to promote it to take part.

When it comes to an Indigenous round, are players free not to promote it?

[Oxford]

The trouble is it's obvious what kind of thing this kind of issue will bring out on any social media forum.

Like it or not the people who don't like the LGBT communities won this one and this decision illustrates it and sadly RL lost for the same reason.

It's little use being under any illusions and we mustn't try and dress it up, excuse it or pretend that's not what happened here.

 

 

Edited March 14, 2023 by Oxford

[lucky 7]

Time to end these gimmick themed rounds and just get on with playing games, and that's what they are gimmicks

[The Masked Poster]

,

Edited March 17, 2023 by The Masked Poster

[gingerjon]

3 minutes ago, The Masked Poster said:

Ian Roberts publicly coming out and still playing 28 years ago or so, is a way bigger testament to Rugby Leagues tolerance than having a themed round. There's nothing especially wrong with a pride round, there could be many positives to it but I don't think RL has much to prove in regard to accepting gay players WAY before it was acceptable. 

I'm sure someone will be along to say that it's not perfect, which it's not, but it's been a be damn sight better than pretty much any other mainstream sport. 

This is almost as embarrassing as saying we’re fine on race cos we had a black captain of GB.

[Damien]

6 minutes ago, The Masked Poster said:

Ian Roberts publicly coming out and still playing 28 years ago or so, is a way bigger testament to Rugby Leagues tolerance than having a themed round. There's nothing especially wrong with a pride round, there could be many positives to it but I don't think RL has much to prove in regard to accepting gay players WAY before it was acceptable. 

I'm sure someone will be along to say that it's not perfect, which it's not, but it's been a be damn sight better than pretty much any other mainstream sport. 

And not a single NRL player has come out as gay in the 25 years since he retired.

[sam4731]

The bigots win again unfortunately. Well done everyone who has opposed anything promoting inclusively, you've got your wish. Don't give me all of this "let's have an inclusivity round" nonsense too, might as well advocate a "All lives matter" round while you're at it.

[The Masked Poster]

On 14/03/2023 at 15:04, Damien said:

And not a single NRL player has come out as gay in the 25 years since he retired.

,,

Edited March 17, 2023 by The Masked Poster

[The Masked Poster]

On 14/03/2023 at 14:59, gingerjon said:

This is almost as embarrassing as saying we’re fine on race cos we had a black captain of GB.

,_

Edited March 17, 2023 by The Masked Poster

[David Shepherd]

I take my lead on issues like this from my daughter (who is gay).

She hates stuff like "Pride", she believes it reinforces the view that gay people are somehow "different". She thinks it's just a way for some straight people to tell the world what nice people they are. I'm inclined to agree with her.

 

Edited March 14, 2023 by David Shepherd

[Bedfordshire Bronco]

1 hour ago, lucky 7 said:

Time to end these gimmick themed rounds and just get on with playing games, and that's what they are gimmicks

Gimmicks can be a good way to get more people interested who might not be 

If we make it clear we are a gay-friendly sport in a visible way it might just get some more tickets sold 

 

[The Masked Poster]

On 14/03/2023 at 16:41, David Shepherd said:

I take my lead on issues like this from my daughter (who is gay).

She hates stuff like "Pride", she believes it reinforces the view that gay people are somehow "different". She thinks it's just a way for some straight people to tell the world what nice people they are. I'm inclined to agree with her.

 

,,,

Edited March 17, 2023 by The Masked Poster

[The Masked Poster]

On 14/03/2023 at 16:43, Bedfordshire Bronco said:

Gimmicks can be a good way to get more people interested who might not be 

If we make it clear we are a gay-friendly sport in a visible way it might just get some more tickets sold 

 

.

Edited March 17, 2023 by The Masked Poster

[graveyard johnny]

religion here no doubt the main culprit - the twisting and poisoning of young peoples minds by religion  is a million times more perverse than adults showing each other love  and affection , whatever gender 

Edited March 14, 2023 by graveyard johnny

[Chris22]

Doing something I don't usually do and wading in on a topic that is seen as political and controversial (though god only knows why a hypothetical person being attracted to someone of the same gender is seen as political, controversial or even anyone's business, I don't know).

I understand why the NRL have decided not to do this. The last thing we want to do is for the sport to show itself in any way as being unwelcoming to people who are generally under-represented in the sport. The Pride round last year did precisely that. It laid it bare.

Whilst individual players are entitled to act as they wish, the message that it sent out (intentional or not) is that a homosexual player would not be welcomed in a dressing room of several NRL clubs. The NRL probably doesn't want to shout about that again.

I do find it ironic though that it is people who have probably faced discrimination in their own lives whose actions last year would have marginalised another 'minority' group.

It's not an easy situation for the NRL to deal with. Don't do a Pride round and it appears that bigotry wins the day. Do a Pride round and it appears that bigotry wins the day. Maybe a more generalised inclusivity round is the best way forward, with activities to try and draw in those from backgrounds not usually associated with Rugby League to the sport.

Edited March 14, 2023 by Chris22

[gingerjon]

57 minutes ago, The Masked Poster said:

I'm not the one ignoring history here. 

Whatever happened 28 years ago is completely and totally irrelevant except as an answer to a Trivial Pursuit question.

Like everything else, it's what's happening today that's important.

[The Masked Poster]

On 14/03/2023 at 17:08, gingerjon said:

Whatever happened 28 years ago is completely and totally irrelevant except as an answer to a Trivial Pursuit question.

Like everything else, it's what's happening today that's important.

_

Edited March 17, 2023 by The Masked Poster

[Barley Mow]

21 minutes ago, Chris22 said:

Doing something I don't usually do and wading in on a topic that is seen as political and controversial (though god only knows why a hypothetical person being attracted to someone of the same gender is seen as political, controversial or even anyone's business, I don't know).

I understand why the NRL have decided not to do this. The last thing we want to do is for the sport to show itself in any way as being unwelcoming to people who are generally under-represented in the sport. The Pride round last year did precisely that. It laid it bare.

Whilst individual players are entitled to act as they wish, the message that it sent out (intentional or not) is that a homosexual player would not be welcomed in a dressing room of several NRL clubs. The NRL probably doesn't want to shout about that again.

I do find it ironic though that it is people who have probably faced discrimination in their own lives whose actions last year would have marginalised another 'minority' group.

It's not an easy situation for the NRL to deal with. Don't do a Pride round and it appears that bigotry wins the day. Do a Pride round and it appears that bigotry wins the day. Maybe a more generalised inclusivity round is the best way forward, with activities to try and draw in those from backgrounds not usually associated with Rugby League to the sport.

I don't think there was a NRL pride round last year - wasn't it just Manly deciding that they wanted to have a 'pride jersey'?

The only other thing I'd add is that, as I understand it, to those who object it isn't necessarily a person being attracted to someone of the same gender that is controversial, but that their employers require them to publicly display pride in a way of life that they don't personally have pride in. As you say, to most objectors it isn't their or anyone else's business.

 

Edited March 14, 2023 by Barley Mow

[gingerjon]

1 minute ago, The Masked Poster said:

Nope. You've just peed on Clive Sullivan's achievement and Ian Roberts brave personal story

 

Nah. You are a good little troll, I'll give you that, but that's a twisting too far.

Ian Roberts was brave. The tragedy for men's rugby league is that it appears that someone today would have to be equally as brave. That's changing in pretty much every other sport and yet remains stubbornly true for us.

Clive Sullivan's achievement was monumental. And yet if we do a quick look over the ranks of rugby league players are they, in any way, as representative of the working class communities of northern towns as football? Not even close.

So the game was first. We should celebrate that. But if that's all folk think we need to do then our journey into irrelevance will continue.

[The Masked Poster]

On 14/03/2023 at 17:17, gingerjon said:

Nah. You are a good little troll, I'll give you that, but that's a twisting too far.

Ian Roberts was brave. The tragedy for men's rugby league is that it appears that someone today would have to be equally as brave. That's changing in pretty much every other sport and yet remains stubbornly true for us.

Clive Sullivan's achievement was monumental. And yet if we do a quick look over the ranks of rugby league players are they, in any way, as representative of the working class communities of northern towns as football? Not even close.

So the game was first. We should celebrate that. But if that's all folk think we need to do then our journey into irrelevance will continue.

,

Edited March 17, 2023 by The Masked Poster

[RL Tragic]

3 hours ago, Oxford said:

The trouble is it's obvious what kind of thing this kind of issue will bring out on any social media forum.

Like it or not the people who don't like the LGBT communities won this one and this decision illustrates it and sadly RL lost for the same reason.

It's little use being under any illusions and we mustn't try and dress it up, excuse it or pretend that's not what happened here.

 

 

I don’t think it’s a case of people who don’t like a certain community won . I think this is a victory for sports remaining apolitical and sticking to providing entertainment. 

[gingerjon]

3 minutes ago, RL Tragic said:

I think this is a victory for sports remaining apolitical and sticking to providing entertainment. 

That's the end of singing the national anthem before a game or wearing poppies then.