Warriors are supporting Rugby Against Racism, a commitment by Premiership Rugby and its clubs to make the sport more diverse, welcoming and inclusive
Warriors players will wear Rugby Against Racism t-shirts and line up on the 10m line opposite their Gloucester counterparts before the resumption of the 2019/20 Gallagher Premiership following the Coronavirus lockdown at Sixways on Saturday.
Premiership Rugby has committed to making English professional club rugby a more diverse, welcoming and inclusive environment for staff, players and fans while also supporting societal change.
Rugby Against Racism is committed to build on existing work through initiatives like Project Rugby to support black communities, as well as plans to further enhance work in LGBTQ+ rights, gender equality and to improve the access to our sport for those from low socio-economic groups and those with disabilities.
For the start of each game in the first round of Gallagher Premiership Rugby, players will show respect for black lives and racial equality. Time will be given before games to honour equality, under the banner of Rugby Against Racism.
In support of this, a working group comprising of black players from across the league, plus Ugo Monye and James Bailey, has been set up.
“Together, we the players stand united in the fight against racism, and we are proud to support the positive message that Black Lives Matter. We are not endorsing a political ideology. We are uniting as players to combat racial discrimination, in our sport and in society,” said the Black Players Group.
In addition to Premiership Rugby endorsing the statement from the Black Players Group once the season has restarted Premiership Rugby is committed to the following actions:
- Work to improve representation of black, Asian and minority ethnic (BAME) players on the RFU level 3 coach education and referee course, along with mentoring opportunities from current DORs and match officials
- Premiership Rugby staff and BAME players to be sponsored as candidates for Sporting Equals LeaderBoard programme to ensure there is a pipeline of board-ready candidates representative of society as a whole
- Confirm the continuation of Project Rugby – which is run with England Rugby and Gallagher – to increase access to the sport for young people from a BAME background. In the last four years, 13,500 young people from BAME backgrounds have been introduced to the sport by Project Rugby
- Review of recruitment practices and the measurement of protected characteristics in the staff and playing group, so that future progress can be appropriately tracked
- Engage with BAME players to build protocols ensuring all our professional players feel safe and protected.
Premiership Rugby Chief Executive Darren Childs: “Improving inclusion is vital for the progress and popularity of our sport and there is an urgent need for change. I wholeheartedly support the measures set out in our Rugby Against Racism programme, and will be making sure these measures underpin Premiership Rugby’s strategy to make a tangible positive difference in our sport and society.”