Australian rugby player Dylan Walker defended seven of his teammates who boycotted a match due to their jerseys having rainbows detailing.
Walker plays for the Manly Warringah Sea Eagles, and said the team has been “rock solid” since the incident, he told News Corp.
The players who boycotted have been identified as Josh Aloiai, Jason Saab, Christian Tuipulotu, Josh Schuster, Haumole Olakau’atu, Tolutau Koula, and Toafofoa Sipley.
Despite having a gay brother and a trans sibling, Walker defended his teammates.
“If you are going to stand for something you believe in, how can you be angry with them for that?” he said.
You, Me, Everyone in League.https://t.co/csnxCYOs7h@dynasty_sport #ManlyForever pic.twitter.com/buVY5B8Vgm
— Manly Warringah Sea Eagles (@SeaEagles) July 24, 2022
He said his family were not angered by the incident and were pleased he wore the jersey.
Manly’s coach, Des Hasler, apologised to the players and the LGBTQ+ community.
He stated: “the execution of what was intended to be an extremely important initiative was poor.” He added the players should have been consulted during the process.
The player’s decision received major backlash.
Former Manly player Ian Roberts, the first professional rugby league player to come out as gay, told the Daily Telegraph the situation was “sad and uncomfortable.”
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