Manly Sea Eagles chairman Scott Penn says standing firm on the NRL club’s values is “more important” than on-field results, with his depleted team succumbing to the Sydney Roosters following the controversy.
Seven of Manly’s regular first-grade players boycotted last night’s match after it emerged the club would be wearing a special jersey featuring a rainbow trim this round.
The club insisted the rainbow patterns on the chest, collar and sleeves were aimed at promoting diversity in all forms, but the outfit became seen as a “pride jersey” supporting the LGBTIQ+ community.
The players cited religious and cultural objections and withdrew from the match after club management stood firm and insisted players wore the jersey.
“If we had have backed down on the jersey, we felt that we were saying that people aren’t welcome,” Penn told 7.30 ahead of last night’s match.
“[That] couldn’t be further from what we stand for.
“So, if that means that for one game we potentially put performance at risk, so be it.”
Loading
Manly is jockeying against several teams, including the Roosters, for a top-eight berth ahead of finals football in September.
“The club is — and what we stand for is — more important than absolute results for one game,” Penn said.
The Sea Eagles’ patchwork team lost 20-10 but managed to stay competitive on Thursday night.
The Roosters now sit two points clear of Manly on the ladder.
Jersey causes more division than unity
Healthcare millionaire Penn, whose family owns the Northern Beaches team, described this week’s events as “the worst-case scenario”.
“It was all about inclusion, and what’s happened is there has been polarised opinion and division,” he said.
التعليقات