NI Minister: Gay rugby team promotes sport apartheid

The North’s first gay rugby team is guilty of promoting a sporting apartheid, Stormont sports minister Edwin Poots claimed tonight.

The Democratic Unionist Party Assembly member heavily criticised the recently formed Ulster Titans and claimed it was unacceptable for a team to recruit members on the basis of their sexual orientation.

However, the Belfast-based club hit back at the minister’s allegations, saying though the team was gay-friendly it welcomed all players.

The minister said he could not understand the motivation of the club’s founders.

“I just cannot fathom why people see the necessity to develop an apartheid in sport,” he said.

“It would be unacceptable to produce an all-black rugby team or an all-white team or an all-Chinese team.

“To me it’s equally unacceptable to produce an all-homosexual rugby team and I find it remarkable that people who talk so much about inclusivity and about having an equal role in society would then go down the route of exclusion.”

Titans’ club chairman Sean McEvoy said Mr Poots’ comments were ill judged.

“I don’t know where he’s getting his information from,” he said.

“Ostensibly we are a gay team but we are by no means exclusive. In fact one of the co-founders of the team was heterosexual. Mr Poots’ remarks are ill judged, this is just another example of a short-sighted attitude.”

Declan Lavery, another co-founder, said players of any sexual orientation were welcome to join.

“When the club was set up it welcomed members regardless of their age, creed, religion, sexual orientation or whatever, and that’s how it continues.

“Yes, it was primarily something established as a vehicle for gay people but that doesn’t mean somebody who isn’t gay can’t join, everyone is welcome.”

Mr Poots is the second DUP minister to anger members of the North’s gay community.

Last year junior minister Ian Paisley jnr whipped up a storm of controversy when he said he was “repulsed” by the activities of gays and lesbians.

Mr Paisley’s resignation from the Executive over an unrelated issue this week has been welcomed by representatives from the North’s gay community.