The Sheffield Eagles Rugby League Football Team has become the first sports club in the UK to wear a shirt brandishing an anti-homophobia slogan.
Pride Sports sponsor Sheffield Eagle’s new shirts
The Eagles wore a T-shirt with the slogan “Homophobia: Tackle It!” when they played against Widnes Vikings for their first home game of the season on Sunday at Bramall Lane Stadium.
The shirts and message relate to the Rugby Football Legaue’s (RFL) official “Tackle It” initiative which is aimed at challenging discrimination within the game.
The strip was funded by the LGBT History Month and Pride Sports. The team will also be presented with the Pride Sports Challenge Cup, a trophy that annually recognises Rugby League teams which support LGBT History Month.
Tony Fenwick from the LGBT History Month said: “It’s great to see the Sheffield Eagles taking the first step for leading the way in promoting work to tackle homophobia in Rugby League and in sport. It is good news for both the rugby club and for Sheffield.”
LGBT support The Eagles
The initiative also gets strong supports from gay sports stars such as Gareth Thomas, John Amaechi and English cricketer Steven Davies, who came out recently.
The Eagles team has supported a number of LGBT History Month events, and will travel across the country to show their commitment to dealing with this issue.
The issue was also highlighted during the Six Nations rugby match between England and Scotland at Twickenham on Sunday. Actor Hugh Grant advised tackling hard during the interval saying: “It’s better to tackle hard rather than tackling like a queen.”