RFL accused of ‘witch-hunt’ against ‘gay slur’ player
By Josh Haggis
Leeds Rhinos have accused the Rugby Football League (RFL) of conducting a “witch-hunt” against Zak Hardaker following claims that the player used homophobic language on the pitch for a second time during a recent match.
According to reports, Hardaker used homophobic language while playing for Leeds Rhinos during their defeat against St Helens on Friday (August 29). Read the full story here.
Earlier this year, the 22-year-old was given a five-match ban for calling another player a “fucking fag”.
“We are concerned there appears to be a witch-hunt by the RFL towards Zak Hardaker and we are calling for an external investigation into the issues surrounding the investigation,” Leeds Rhinos chief executive Gary Hetherington said in a statement on the club’s website.
“We know the match commissioner was asked by the media at the post match press conference if the referee had reported any incident or comment and they were told ‘no’. We want to know why the referee’s report quite mysteriously now contains a reference to a possible comment.”
Hetherington continued: “We understand a St Helens player has been interviewed and he has stated he did not hear anything. There is a hint of mystery about the whole issue and the use of a lip reader has added a new dimension to on-field conduct, particularly when games are televised.”
“We also want to better understand why the RFL are pursuing this so rigorously. The only person who appears to have heard anything at all is the referee and he has belatedly reported this despite not taking any action on the field or after the game with the match commissioner,” he added.
Hardaker could face an eight-match ban if found guilty of using offensive language. The RFL have yet to comment on the statement by Leeds Rhinos’ chief accusation.
The second accusation of using homophobic language on the pitch follows Hardaker’s visit to Manchester’s Canal Street, where he took part in a Q&A with the LGBT community and played with gay rugby team the Manchester Canalsiders.
He apologised for his use of the anti-gay slur, and said meeting the LGBT community had helped him become a “better person”.