Does it matter if he is gay? This kind of abuse should not be tolerated.

Exactly. Jeez.

Quote Odem="Odem"I am amazed by the amount of people who think homophobic abuse on a rugby field. Especially 'HIM'... Who seems to think homophobic abuse is not an issue. Would this change it it was racism or is that ok as well? www.nrl.com/moses-banned-for-two ... fault.aspx We should clamp down on this now so it doesn't carry on. The great Jamie Peacock was also seen directing abuse towards the ref (this was certainly at the ref). Any kind of discrimination should be punished, I can't believe the amount of people on this thread particularly on the first few pages are deeming this acceptable. It is no shock to me that many of these people are Leeds fan, including 'HIM.'" Still hoping for Mcguire's career to be ended? No one can defend what hardaker said, but you can pipe down.

Quote Odem="Odem"I am amazed by the amount of people who think homophobic abuse on a rugby field. Especially 'HIM'... Who seems to think homophobic abuse is not an issue. Would this change it it was racism or is that ok as well? www.nrl.com/moses-banned-for-two ... fault.aspx We should clamp down on this now so it doesn't carry on. The great Jamie Peacock was also seen directing abuse towards the ref (this was certainly at the ref). Any kind of discrimination should be punished, I can't believe the amount of people on this thread particularly on the first few pages are deeming this acceptable. It is no shock to me that many of these people are Leeds fan, including 'HIM.'" Still hoping for Mcguire's career to be ended? No one can defend what hardaker said, but you can pipe down.

I'm amazed people are try to excuse it with 'it wasn't at the ref', 'child isn't gay' and 'all players do it'.

Which of those excuses make that acceptable. People like Him earlier in this thread are just embarrassing because they are sticking to their judgement on this issue which is a disgrace to RL fans.

I don't care who it was said to, why he said it, the tension of the moment, I don't care if childs is gay. This abuse is wrong.

What happens when an 11 year old calls the ref a fag at a school game?

The people defending these actions need to have a look at themselves. Would they accept racism? Where is the line drawn? What if their own son said it on a field? What if their friend is gay and someone says these words in a pub?

As I have stated previously, those comments were said in the heat of the moment and were not my true opinion. I don't even cheer at a game when a rival player goes down. My character is the opposite of that demonstrated in those comments. Has nobody else ever said stupid things in the heat of the moment? You must be an angel yourself I assume? Never said a bad word Im guessing?

That was also 4 years ago, get over it. I have apologised on here numerous times. You and others must be extremely judgemental to carry this on.

Oh, that's ok then.



Mr Hardaker ?



You couldn't make this up

Zak Hardakers comments were in the heat of the moment and not his true opinion. He has gay friends and plays matchmaker with his other gay friends. His character is the opposite of that demonstrated in those comments. Has nobody else ever said stupid things in the heat of the moment? You must be an angel yourself I assume? Never said a bad word Im guessing?

They were, but he is a professional rugby league player. He should be banned for his actions so it doesn't happen again. That is what the thread it is about. Clearly you have made your mind up that I am somehow a bad person so I. Give up trying to defend myself.

Here you go Odem..

I'm glad you think so...

I'm not one for all the faux moral high ground - the mock outrage is absolute nonesense - it's a young bloke playing rugby saying something in the heat of the moment.

What's the difference between using fag, to calling someone fat, ugly, ginger, , convict (for Aussies) etc etc, it's all the same, yet we often see and hear many of these without the outrage...

On the rugby pitch, all that stuff is tame - there's a difference if it's aimed at a gay person and is being used to vilify them for being gay, but used on the sense of someone being soft, the outrage is way over the top.

There are much more important issues to be outraged/offended over in life, than a rugby player giving a bit of stick to someone in the heat of a game.

For some reason, some people like to try and make out that their these politically correct saints, I guarantee that everyone of them has used a term or laughed at a joke that could be deemed offensive by someone on our planet - it's just that it's 'cool' to bang the anti-racist/homophobic drum at any given opportunity!

Okay, I think a few things need to be cleared up here.

a) I'm fairly certain that no one on here would condone homophobic behaviour on the rugby pitch. Speaking for myself, I spent a lot of time working with the lgbt society at university, and is something I consider important.

b) that doesn't mean to say, even assuming that those were the words hardaker shouted, means he's being homophobic. It can (and is on a very regular basis) used as a generic insult - and yes is regularly used in youth games between teams up and down the country - verbals are an important part of the psychology game. If it was specifically aimed at someone of that persuasion then it becomes a lot more serious, as it's intent looks a lot more homophobic. The only reason it matters whether it was directed at child is that ref verbals are unacceptable, homophobic or not.

c) abuse is not acceptably on any level, homophobic, xenophobic or anything else. But verbals are part of the game - at 11 year old school games and all the way up. If the chosen vocab was meant as generic insult, to another player, there's nothing in this (except he was stupid enough to be caught on camera, which is a slap on the wrist) - if it was aimed at the ref, regardless of intent, there should be a disciplinary as the ref should command respect. If there was intent for the specific, homophobic, meaning then it is very serious. On the evidence shown so far, it's indeterminant which category it falls in. Yet, you've already acted as judge and jury on the matter.