You gotta dig these cats
PRAEGVILLE – LGBTQI players, officials and fans can start to feel a bit safer at Diggers Rugby Club.
Diggers Rugby Club has become the first rugby club in African history to sign a memorandum of understanding to combat a perceived homophobic tendency in rugby.
The club based at the Randburg Sports Complex did this along with the Exclusive Books Jozi Cats, South Africa’s first gay and inclusive competitive rugby club.
Diggers has committed to respect the rights of all players, officials and spectators to be involved in rugby without discrimination on the grounds of sexual orientation or identification, to eliminate homophobia in rugby, and make Diggers a ‘community-centred safe space’.
“Diggers has a nearly 125-year tradition of going against the grain and standing up for the underdog,” said club chairperson, Riaan Matthys. “At Diggers everyone, regardless of their sexual orientation is not only welcome but safe as well. And this is something we are extremely proud of.”
Diggers and Jozi Cats also committed to working together with the Golden Lions Rugby Union and the South African Rugby Union to improve tolerance of LGBTQI (lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer or questioning, and intersex) members of the game.
This comes after the Jozi Cats decided to call Diggers their new home earlier this year.
“Everyone at Diggers has gone out of their way to make us feel at home and their passion and commitment to help us provide a truly safe and harassment-free environment for our players, fans and spectators and is truly inspiring,” said Jozi Cats chairperson, Chris Verrijdt.
He called Diggers brave for blowing the whistle on homophobia in rugby.
The Jozi Cats will play in the Diggers annual 7s tournament on 16 September before their second birthday.
Verrijdt invited members of the public to come support the boys in pink.
“We hope that every club and union in South Africa takes a page from Diggers’ book to say that homophobia has no place in rugby, but homosexuals do,” concluded Verrijdt.
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Details: Diggers Rugby Club seniors@diggersrugby.co.za; 083 644 5058.
