Ramadan

[Red Willow]

At the Salford v Leigh game a trainer ran on to help Nene McDonald break his fast. I saw the same in a football game.

Do we have many Muslim players?

[N2022]

20 minutes ago, Red Willow said:

At the Salford v Leigh game a trainer ran on to help Nene McDonald break his fast. I saw the same in a football game.

Do we have many Muslim players?

Not sure, but perhaps some from French or Lebanese backgrounds. 

[N2022]

1 minute ago, N2022 said:

Not sure, but perhaps some from French or Lebanese backgrounds. 

I say this not to rule out possibility among Eng players, but to reflect likelihood based on demographics (especially with Lebanon). Clearly, there are many Muslims living in our RL heartlands, but I don't know of player examples that suggest their engagement extends to participation in pro game, which is a shame as that would be a huge player pool to draw on. By contrast, I think I've seen a few Arabic-origin names in French squads that make me think there could be some representation there.

[Bedfordshire Bronco]

32 minutes ago, N2022 said:

I say this not to rule out possibility among Eng players, but to reflect likelihood based on demographics (especially with Lebanon). Clearly, there are many Muslims living in our RL heartlands, but I don't know of player examples that suggest their engagement extends to participation in pro game, which is a shame as that would be a huge player pool to draw on. By contrast, I think I've seen a few Arabic-origin names in French squads that make me think there could be some representation there.

A couple of years ago I think I read in League Express that the current under 16 England captain was an Asian kid?.....anyone know?

I think there a lot of Lebanese in Sydney and league has encompassed them (unlike our heartlands with the subcontinental linked people) 

Aiden Sezer was fasting last year wasn't he? 

Always wondered about Jordan Abdull? ....surname suggests an Asian link?

[Futtocks]

Just now, Bedfordshire Bronco said:

A couple of years ago I think I read in League Express that the current under 16 England captain was an Asian kid?.....anyone know?

I think there a lot of Lebanese in Sydney and league has encompassed them (unlike our heartlands with the subcontinental linked people) 

Aiden Sezer was fasting last year wasn't he? 

Always wondered about Jordan Abdull? ....surname suggests an Asian link?

There have been plenty of players of North African (mostly Algerian) descent in French Rugby League who were Muslims. There have not been as many as there could have been at English clubs.

[M j M]

Breaking fasts and making tackles: how rugby league is adapting to Ramadan

 

'It reminds us of how helpless we are': Life as an NRL player during Ramadan

[Angelic Cynic]

https://wakefieldtrinity.com/trinity-sign-muslim-athlete-charter/

 

https://www.rugby-league.com/article/61611/bradford-bulls-to-host-english-rugby-leagues-first-iftar-event #:~:text=Earlier this year the Bulls,to inclusion in the city.

 

[ATLANTISMAN]

12 hours ago, Bedfordshire Bronco said:

A couple of years ago I think I read in League Express that the current under 16 England captain was an Asian kid?.....anyone know?

I think there a lot of Lebanese in Sydney and league has encompassed them (unlike our heartlands with the subcontinental linked people) 

Aiden Sezer was fasting last year wasn't he? 

Always wondered about Jordan Abdull? ....surname suggests an Asian link?

Many Lebs in Sydney are Christians ex falange supporters who fled 

[Farmduck]

6 minutes ago, ATLANTISMAN said:

Many Lebs in Sydney are Christians ex falange supporters who fled 

Before 1980s they were mainly Christians. There was a wave back in the early 1900s like the Mansours who were big in the fabric and textiles business. Also former Sydney Lord Mayor Nick Shehadie (who was also the Wallabies captain at one point) whose family came here in the 1920s. His wife Marie Bashir who was the NSW Governor from 2001-2014, came from a Lebanese family that arrived here before 1900.

Some of those first wave were Greek Orthodox and some probably Armenian Orthodox. Even today most people of Lebanese descent are Christians, about 60%

[Bedfordshire Bronco]

46 minutes ago, ATLANTISMAN said:

Many Lebs in Sydney are Christians ex falange supporters who fled 

Ah.....

[OriginalMrC]

Ilies Macani and Hakim Miloudi at London Broncos are both Muslim. Ex team manager of Midlands Hurricanes, and now NW Crusaders Darren Morson is Muslim. All have talked about fasting and RL. There are many more I am sure. 

[Dave T]

9 hours ago, M j M said:

Breaking fasts and making tackles: how rugby league is adapting to Ramadan

 

'It reminds us of how helpless we are': Life as an NRL player during Ramadan

This was a weird line in Aaron Bower's article:

but the sight of London’s physio entering the field with a handful of dates specifically for the Broncos’ Hakim Miloudi to break his fast while the game continued perhaps emphasised the work rugby league still has to do to recognise Muslim athletes.

The quotes in the article then broadly sing the praises of the club's and the RFL. Is it just a natural instinct to be critical of the sport in every article? 

[N2022]

1 minute ago, Dave T said:

This was a weird line in Aaron Bower's article:

but the sight of London’s physio entering the field with a handful of dates specifically for the Broncos’ Hakim Miloudi to break his fast while the game continued perhaps emphasised the work rugby league still has to do to recognise Muslim athletes.

The quotes in the article then broadly sing the praises of the club's and the RFL. Is it just a natural instinct to be critical of the sport in every article? 

I don't know, but I feel the reaction, even with 'perhaps' is harsh there. If it's genuinely just the one player, and he's chosen to play in Ramadan, all respect to him, but I'm struggling to see what more club and league could do that links to him eating dates. Schedule a whole game  differently? Bring on dates for everyone? Just seems the journalist is trying to find a link between an anecdote and a wider issue which may need addressing but isn't at the heart of this episode.

[Dave T]

1 minute ago, N2022 said:

I don't know, but I feel the reaction, even with 'perhaps' is harsh there. If it's genuinely just the one player, and he's chosen to play in Ramadan, all respect to him, but I'm struggling to see what more club and league could do that links to him eating dates. Schedule a whole game  differently? Bring on dates for everyone? Just seems the journalist is trying to find a link between an anecdote and a wider issue which may need addressing but isn't at the heart of this episode.

Yeah, the article was interesting as it wasn't something I was aware of, and the comments from the player were positive about the club and RFL - it felt weird to have any negative at all in there. 

[The Future is League]

21 hours ago, N2022 said:

I say this not to rule out possibility among Eng players, but to reflect likelihood based on demographics (especially with Lebanon). Clearly, there are many Muslims living in our RL heartlands, but I don't know of player examples that suggest their engagement extends to participation in pro game, which is a shame as that would be a huge player pool to draw on. By contrast, I think I've seen a few Arabic-origin names in French squads that make me think there could be some representation there.

We haven't even begun to scratch the surface when it come's to getting more Muslims playing our game, and other minorities.

I have seen Ikram Butt at many Rugby League functions, but on the surface he doesn't seem to being doing much when it come's to getting more Muslims playing our game, but correct me if I'm wrong.

South London have a large Afro-Caribbean community, which would include a lot of young athletic people, who in my opinion would make good Rugby League players.

[damp squib]

14 hours ago, ATLANTISMAN said:

Many Lebs in Sydney are Christians ex falange supporters who fled 

Fled from what? There was an amnesty after the war for all factions. Lebanese emigrants, Christian or Muslim, left to escape the war or subsequently to escape poverty.

Of the more high profile Lebanese RL players currently playing I think only Abbas Miski is Muslim but that will change with the new generation of players coming through. Arguably the most famous Lebanese RL player of all time, Hazem El Masri, is Muslim.

[meast]

On 31/03/2024 at 22:09, Bedfordshire Bronco said:

A couple of years ago I think I read in League Express that the current under 16 England captain was an Asian kid?.....anyone know?

I think there a lot of Lebanese in Sydney and league has encompassed them (unlike our heartlands with the subcontinental linked people) 

Aiden Sezer was fasting last year wasn't he? 

Always wondered about Jordan Abdull? ....surname suggests an Asian link?

Kameron Siddique, came through the scholarship at Huddersfield 

 

[meast]

If it's of interest, Giants recently became the first Super League club to host a community iftar.

https://www.rugby-league.com/article/62605/huddersfield-giants-host-community-iftar-to-mark-ramadan#:~:text=Huddersfield Giants last night (Tuesday,Muslim holy month of Ramadan.

I was invited along as chair of the HGSA but unfortunately work commitments meant I couldn't make it.

We have a huge Muslim/Asian community in and around Huddersfield and across Kirklees, we recently ran an initiative led by new director Jas Atwal and Masood Ahmed, where a free bus was on hand to take anyone from the Asian community to the game against St Helens as guests of the club, the take up wasn't that great but the club are looking at trying to find ways to get into and draw support from local communities.

[StandOffHalf]

38 minutes ago, Dave T said:

I was reading that football now allow for a couple of minutes stoppage to cater for this. But I do think our game is different enough to maybe not need to take the same action. We do have more stoppages, we do allow coaches to come on the field of play, and we do allow for players to be subbed on and off - all things that are different from football. 

That said, I also don't think it would adversely affect the sport if we did have a minutes enforced break, not unlike what we do in hot weather, and it does have the positive impact of demonstrating we are welcoming for everyone. 

Water breaks are fine in hot weather, as all players are likely to be affected.

I think a stoppage to break a fast isn't necessary. Just let the player go off, eat what he needs to, and come back on when he's ready to do so. The interchange doesn't need to count towards the total - i.e. a free interchange.

[Bedfordshire Bronco]

4 hours ago, meast said:

Kameron Siddique, came through the scholarship at Huddersfield 

 

Is he still playing?

[Futtocks]

22 minutes ago, Bedfordshire Bronco said:

Is he still playing?

He was on the bench for this match in February: https://wiganwarriors.com/blog/2024/02/10/reserves-defeat-huddersfield-giants/

[unapologetic pedant]

19 hours ago, damp squib said:

Arguably the most famous Lebanese RL player of all time, Hazem El Masri, is Muslim.

Between Hazem and Benny Elias, who was born in Tripoli.

[John Drake]

On 31/03/2024 at 21:02, Red Willow said:

At the Salford v Leigh game a trainer ran on to help Nene McDonald break his fast. I saw the same in a football game.

Do we have many Muslim players?

Just a reminder of the opening post in this thread, which is a perfectly reasonable enquiry, and most people responding are sticking to the point. Thanks.

Some other people are trying very hard to drag it off topic for reasons best known to themselves. Those posts have been removed. If any more off topic comments are posted in here, those posting them will find themselves taking an enforced break from the forum. 

Back on topic, then...

[unapologetic pedant]

20 hours ago, John Drake said:

Just a reminder of the opening post in this thread, which is a perfectly reasonable enquiry, and most people responding are sticking to the point. Thanks.

Some other people are trying very hard to drag it off topic for reasons best known to themselves. Those posts have been removed. If any more off topic comments are posted in here, those posting them will find themselves taking an enforced break from the forum. 

Back on topic, then...

All gone quiet on this front. Everyone seems to have taken "Back on topic, then..." to mean "LOCKED".

Pity, because it's a subject we ought to debate. In the future interest of UK RL. Preferably without the heavy hand of censorship.

The gloriously diverse composition of Canterbury Bulldogs fanbase would be inconceivable in this country. We are manifestly failing. 

I'll try one rhetorical question. Food for thought. -

It's easy to denounce others for alleged intolerance. Costs nothing. How many self-styled "progressives" would be willing to curb their enthusiasm for alcohol if it meant creating a more welcoming RL environment for Muslims?

I don't touch a drop, so wouldn't affect me.

[JohnM]

In one of my earlier posts (now deleted along with others)  by JD, I predicted that this topic would be either locked or moved to the political sub-forum. I guess that's where any more general debate on the wider issue would take place.