Comment: Is NZ Rugby on the right side of history?

Ruby Tui. Photo / Photosport

OPINION:

New Zealand Rugby’s reasons for blocking Ruby Tui’s efforts to have a rainbow feature on her Weet-Bix collector card are understandable - provided that all you’re concerned about is bottom lines and the risk of making sponsors uncomfortable.

The Black Ferns winger - the national game’s most marketable personality - wanted to take part in the collector cards series, provided her image could include a rainbow flag, the symbol of support for the LGBTQIA+ community.

NZ Rugby’s concern was that if they allow Tui to make a principled stance on this issue, other top players, in both the Black Ferns and All Blacks, might demand the right to promote awareness of their own heartfelt issues.

It’s a story that played out recently at the men’s Fifa World Cup in Qatar, where top players wore armbands supporting the same cause.

It gets problematic when a player wants to wave a flag for an outright political cause. In an election year, followers of the game would be uncomfortable with players taking the field or using other platforms of the game to promote the campaign messages of political parties.

But the rights of the LGBTQIA+ community are not simply a matter of political discussion - they are fundamental human rights. And many in that community are still facing discrimination.

Tui is on the right side of history, and also on the right side of society’s current mood. Can NZ Rugby say the same?

If supporting basic human rights makes potential sponsors uncomfortable, then go right ahead and make them uncomfortable. Have awkward conversations.

* Since this editorial was first published, NZR chief executive Mark Robinson has responded to the saga, claiming the organisation did not have enough time to discuss the issue.