Tag Archives: rugby

The Independent report: Former Welsh rugby captain Gareth Thomas has revealed he is HIV positive – and hopes coming forward with his diagnosis can help break the stigma for others living with the virus. Thomas is thought to be the first UK sportsman to go public about living with the condition, and has revealed that he was driven to suicidal …

The BBC reports: A controversial fundraising page set up by sacked Australian rugby player Israel Folau has been shut down for promoting the exclusion of LGBT people, website GoFundMe says. Folau had his contract with Rugby Australia (RA) terminated in May after he said that “hell awaits” gay people. He asked for public donations to help him with a legal …

CNN International reports: Israel Folau, who was sacked by Rugby Australia following a homophobic social media post, is crowdfunding A$3 million (US$2.1 million) to pursue a legal battle against the governing body. Folau, a devout Christian who has been capped 73 times by his country, was found guilty of a code of conduct breach and stripped of his contract last …

The Guardian reports: Israel Folau’s rugby career appears over after an independent panel backed Rugby Australia’s intention to rip up his four-year, $4m contract following the player’s controversial social media posts which said hell awaits “drunks, homosexuals, adulterers” and others. The three-member panel, comprising John West QC, Kate Eastman SC and John Boultbee AM, announced on Friday that it had …

The Guardian reports: Israel Folau has been dropped by Asics in response to homophobic social media posts he published last month. The sportswear company is a personal sponsor for Folau as well as the Wallabies and has acted after the 30-year-old was found to have committed a high-level breach of Rugby Australia’s code of conduct. “Asics is dedicated to sport …

Agence France-Presse reports: Wallabies fullback Israel Folau on Wednesday formally challenged Rugby Australia’s decision to sack him over anti-gay social media posts, thrusting the sport into further turmoil ahead of the World Cup. The latest showdown with the devoutly religious 30-year-old — who last year was embroiled in a similar row — came after he posted on his Instagram account …

Australia’s SBS News reports: Rugby Australia and NSW Rugby Union will terminate star player Israel Folau’s contract, following his “disrespectful” social media posts about homosexuals. On Wednesday night, Folau took to Instagram to post an image with a warning that “those that are living in Sin will end up in Hell unless you repent” alongside an image telling “homosexuals” to …

The New Zealand Herald reports: The All Blacks and the Black Ferns have made a very public statement on where they stand on diversity and inclusiveness as they launched their “diversity is strength” campaign. Pairing up with AIG, the two teams released a two-minute video outlining their values. The next “battle” and “enemy” was devious and truly formidable, the video …

The Guardian reports: The US rapper, Macklemore, issued a call for equality after an emotional performance of his hit single, Same Love, in a much-hyped pre-game show at the NRL grand final. The performance at ANZ Stadium in Sydney follows a bizarre week in which the hip-hop artist became the focus of national attention due to his decision to play …

SameSame reports: Awarded for their grace, dedication and commitment to the values of rugby, the Melbourne Chargers A’s haven’t stopped celebrating after they won the Bingham Cup yesterday, scoring 20 to 7 against the Sydney Convicts at the world championships in Nashville, Tennessee. The 8th Mark Kendall Bingham Memorial Cup saw the Music City transform into the Rugby City, as …

You’ll love his accent. The Mirror reports: England flanker and Wasps captain James Haskell has revealed he has his toe nails painted when he has pedicures. In the video above, the Rugby Union hard man takes off his socks to reveal a very well maintained set of toenails decorated to the tip. However, Haskell defended himself saying it’s not just …

From the Sydney Morning Herald: On an occasion such as this, with the All Blacks becoming the first team to win back-to-back World Cups, one Haka was never going to be enough. After going with their ‘Kapa O Panga’ Haka before their 34-17 win over the Wallabies at Twickenham, New Zealand celebrated in style with a traditional ‘Ka Mate’ Haka …

Excellent new web campaign from Guinness Beer. Clip recap: Gareth Thomas: Never Alone tells the story of how the former Wales captain’s greatest fear wasn’t the opposition he faced on the pitch, but the fear of rejection from everything he had known, because of his sexuality. The film celebrates the courage of Gareth, and most importantly, the empathy shown by …

This is probably the highest production-value air safety clip you’ve ever seen. Over 2.5M views in one week. From the clip recap: “At Air New Zealand, we’re #CrazyAboutRugby. So for our latest inflight safety video, we called upon some very special Men In Black to brief our passengers.”

The Mirror reports: Rugby League player Keegan Hirst is the first British professional in the code to openly say he is gay. Respected prop Keegan, 27, reveals the secret torment of dealing with his sexuality while carving out a career in one of the world’s most macho sports. Speaking exclusively to the Sunday Mirror, the dad of two tells of …

This gave an Australian morning show a case of the giggles, especially since the player on the left’s name is Willie. The female anchor exclaimed, “No reaction at all! Was that some sort of secret handshake? At least buy him dinner first.” The two players are former teammates, by the way.

Via Facebook: “We are proud to announce that Nashville will host the 2016 Bingham Cup! Thanks to all of the players and supporters who participated in the vote and to Chicago and Boston for a spirited bid process. With you, brothers!” The 2014 event was held in Sydney.

Via the Sydney Morning Herald: The Sydney Convicts have retained the Bingham Cup – the gay and inclusive rugby World Cup – in a 31-0 grand final thrashing of the Brisbane Hustlers in Sydney. Australian teams dominated the three-day international tournament that ended with the one-sided decider in Rose Bay on Sunday. The Sydney Convicts, Australia’s first gay rugby union …