Poots criticised over gay rugby apartheid claim
Sports Minister Edwin Poots has been slammed over comments he made about a gay-friendly team who played in the city last week.
Sean Morrin, of the Derry-based Rainbow Project said comments made by the DUP politician about the Ulster Titans, who played against City of Derry 3rds on Saturday, were "totally unacceptable".
Mr. Poots said that it would not be acceptable to produce an all-black rugby team, an all-white or an all-Chinese team and that segregated teams promoted "apartheid" in sport.
The Belfast-based Titans, who are Northern Ireland's only gay-friendly rugby team, played their first game on home soil at Judges Road last weekend .The game was the first game the team, who lost 35 - 0, had played against a 'straight' side.
Mr. Morrin said that the Sports Minister should "think twice before using words he doesn't understand".
"It is ridiculous that our Sports Minister is using the word apartheid in this context, he said."It is insulting to anyone who has experienced it.
"This team is an inclusive team. Six City of Derry players played for them as they were short of players.They have been very up front about what they stand for.
"They are encouraging everybody to become involved in the sport of rugby. We see that as a good and healthy thing.Poots should think twice before using words he does not understand."
Trevor McMahon, of the Ulster Titans said the club was keen to draw a line under the debacle and get back to playing rugby.
"The game went well and we learned a lot from it, he said."We will definitely be playing them again.
"Although we are the first sporting team in Northern Ireland to actively identify with men who do not view themselves as heterosexual, we do not discriminate based on sexual orientation.
"As a club, we feel it is important that the focus remains on the sport. We are simply a bunch of like-minded guys who get together to play rugby. We are here for the sport, not the politics that may surround it. We see the sport as our first priority; our sexuality or perceived sexuality has no influence over our sporting ability.We hope that the line can now be drawn under Mr. Poots' comments and that we can be left to enjoy playing rugby."
The Titans, who only formed a year ago, are set to play in the Bingham Cup - the Gay Rugby World - in Dublin in June.
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Sunday 27 May 2012
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