The National Rugby League has banned Newcastle women’s player Caitlin Moran after she took to social media to refer to Queen Elizabeth as a ‘dumb dog’ while celebrating her death.
Last week, Buckingham Palace announced the tragic death of Queen Elizabeth II, confirming she died peacefully at Balmoral Castle. She passed away aged 96, ending the longest reign by any monarch in British history.
The Queen remained a symbol of stability amid a turbulent era in British history, overseeing the decline of the empire as well as the public and incredibly embarrassing dysfunction within her own family. She died having served 70 years on the throne.
Moran made headlines as she appeared to celebrate the Queen’s death in a since-deleted Instagram post. The Indigenous All-Star - who has represented Australia and New South Wales - used a slur as she referred to the monarch.
“Today’s a good f***** day, uncle Luke [country music artist Luke Coombs] announces his tour, and this dumb dog [Queen Elizabeth] dies,” Moran wrote. “Happy f***ing Friday.”
The post was eventually deleted and screenshots have been viewed by the NRL’s integrity unit. However, Moran still took to the field for Newcastle in their 18-16 defeat to the Sydney Roosters over the weekend - but the NRL announced they planned on banning Moran for one match on Tuesday.
It means Moran becomes the first women’s player to be banned for an off-field matter in NRLW history. The Indigenous Knights star also received a suspended fine of 25 per cent and forced to undertake education and training regarding the appropriate use of social media.
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In a statement, the NRL insisted the comments were unacceptable. It read: “Rugby league is an inclusive game and has a proud and strong relationship with many communities. Regardless of any personal views, all players and officials must adhere to the professional standards expected of them and on this occasion the public comments made by the player have caused damage to the game.”
Knights coach Ronald Griffiths defended Moran after the loss to Sydney. He said: “The relationship between Indigenous people and the monarchy is a complicated one. If Caitlin has done something then it will be investigated by the Integrity Unit and we'll work our way through the process. We're talking a little bit of negativity with Caitlin, but if we look at we're she's come from, in 2017 she wins us the World Cup and does her knee the year after and has probably in the wilderness since then.”
Moran was not named by the Knights for their final-round clash with St George Illawarra. The 25-year-old has until next Tuesday to decide whether to accept the decision or appeal.
