Sheffield Eagles Rugby League Club have unveiled an anti-homophobia kit which players will wear in their championship match against Widnes Vikings on 13 March.
The white kit, which has been jointly funded by LGBT History Month and Pride Sports with backing from the University & College Union (UCU) and the National Union of Teachers (NUT) will boldly display the slogan “Homophobia: Tackle It”.
The Eagles will become the first professional club in mainstream UK sport to display such a high level of support for the anti-homophobia campaign.
Sue Sanders, Co-Chair of LGBT History Month, said: “We have scraped all our pennies together to buy these shirts for the game. It means so much to us to have a professional club want to do something to tackle homophobia and celebrate LGBT History Month.
“Our organization is small and punches well above its weight to reach a wide audience of both youth and adults and raise the visibility of LGBT people and explore how we can be out and safe in sport.”
Lou Englefield, Director of Pride Sports said: “We have been working since 2006 to make sport a more inclusive environment for LGBT people. It is fantastic that Rugby League has risen so decisively to this challenge and that Sheffield Eagles have placed themselves at the forefront of the campaign against homophobia in sport.”
Tickets for Sheffield Eagles’ Cooperative Championship clash with Widnes Vikings at Bramall Lane, Sheffield on March 13 are available now by calling 0871 9951889 priced £14 for adults, £10 for concessions and £7 for under 16s.
Fans can also now pre-order replicas of the Eagles’ groundbreaking playing shirts from www.eaglespride.co.uk
