Manly captain Daly Cherry-Evans would support the introduction of a Pride Round in the NRL.
The game celebrates an Indigenous Round and a Women In League Round each year, but until now there had been no set initiative to recognise the LGBTQ community in the competition, aside from the NRL’s Mardi Gras float.
On Monday, the Sea Eagles unveiled a rainbow-adorned playing strip to mark their Everyone In League initiative, and will wear the jersey at 4 Pines Park for their game on Thursday.
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But on Tuesday coach Des Hasler was forced to make a public apology after seven senior players refused to wear the design, and opted out of being available to play this week on cultural grounds.
Now, the NRL and Australian Rugby League Commission is considering making Pride Round a permanent fixture on the calendar, despite the obvious risk of dividing the game, as it has done to Manly.
Commission chairman Peter V’landys told the Sydney Morning Herald a Pride Round may be introduced as early as next season.
“Absolutely. We are very proud that we are a game for everybody,” V’landys said on Tuesday.
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“That’s why I’m in this game, because I had a difficulty being accepted as a migrant and rugby league accepted me.
“It was inclusive back then and it is inclusive now. It’s important that every boy and girl and man and woman can go to the game and feel they can be treated the same as everyone else.”
Cherry-Evans – who is a leading voice at the Players Association – agrees it is an initiative the game must consider.
“That’s one of the positives that will come from this, as a game we’ll get a better understanding where some players stand on this situation,” he told media on Tuesday.
“If they do want to get a bit more of a lay of the land, it will be up to the NRL to proceed with something.”
Ian Roberts – the first and only professional men’s rugby league player to come out as gay so far – has been pushing the NRL to introduce a Pride Round for a number of years.
“I’ve put some proposals forward to the NRL for the last three or four years, the last one I was told by a third party was an excellent proposal,” Roberts told media on Tuesday.
“I had meetings organised, those meetings were cancelled and have been put off ever since.
“I had Peter V’landys tell me that proposal was first-class and we need to speak about this – well now is the time.”
While Cherry-Evans is supporting his teammates who refuse to wear the pride jersey, he himself is more than happy to support the initiative.
He wants the focus to be on the players who do wear it on Thursday, rather than the faction who refuse.
“There are going to be 17 players out there celebrating inclusiveness and diversity, so hopefully we can start to shift attention towards the good intentions that we have,” he said.
“Myself as the captain, I see an opportunity in all this to bring a group together and try to do something special on Thursday night.
“I’m trying to encourage people to have an open mind about what’s happening at the moment.
“As a society we have got a lot of progress to make around topics like this. There are going to be people out there wearing the jersey, I’m going to be out there wearing the jersey trying to endorse inclusiveness and diversity.
“There are people who are making the decision to be out there, so I’d encourage them to get behind those people and come support us on Thursday.”
The Sea Eagles will take on the Roosters.
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