English Rugby Premiership to support social justice and equality standing with BLM
Rob Baxter, the Director of Rugby of English Premiership rugby team Exeter Chiefs, has claimed that the English Premiership’s failure to come up with a combined approach to show the league’s support for the ‘Black Lives Matter’ movement is like hanging players out to dry.
All the 12 top-flight clubs will take a stand against racism with different gestures when the Premiership resumes.
Harlequins, Leicester and Wasps players will take a knee before kickoff this weekend while Bath will form a huddle instead. Also, Bristol Bears will line up in a heart-shaped formation before each of their games, while Gloucester and Worcester Warriors will support the movement in a ‘V’ formation.
Baxter, who previously played for 14 years, 10 of them as captain and also coached the Barbarians, added: “Just dropping it on clubs and saying, ‘there you go, do what you like’ is like hanging some players out to dry”.
“I don’t know how much positive press players will get if they have a different opinion, which is something we should embrace.”
According to Rugby league Director, clubs needed to strike a balance in the way they support the pro-social justice movement to ensure rugby does not become overly political.
“If we are going to get some balance in all of this, let’s remember that we are a sport, we are here to entertain people, let’s get back to be a sport and not trying to be a political tool,” he then concluded.
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