A landmark study on the use of homophobic language in men’s community sport has found education campaigns run by professional rugby players did nothing to stop young players and their coaches from mindlessly using words such as “fag” and “poof” in team settings.
The results from Monash University, just published in the British Journal of Sports Medicine, directly contradict broadly accepted recommendations that this type of behaviour can be reduced through the formal delivery of education via videos or in-person talks – a practice used regularly in different sports around the world.
They have also prompted Australian rugby officials and players to call for more resources to further address a “sport-wide” problem that is harming LGBTQ+ youth in numerous codes.
Monash University had initially set out to conduct a multi-sport study, however found Rugby Victoria to be the most willing and quantitatively appropriate for the randomised controlled trial – the first to look at anti-homophobia educational intervention delivered by professional athletes.
It was undertaken by every under-18s and Colts (under-20s) team in Victoria, whose participants filled out surveys two weeks before and two weeks after players from the Melbourne Rebels Super Rugby team travelled around the state to deliver talks.
In the pre-training survey, 55.3% self-reported using homophobic language at least once over the previous two weeks and 77.4% perceived teammates to have used homophobic language. In the post-training survey, those numbers had risen to 61.2% and 82.1% respectively.
“Use of professional rugby athletes to deliver education on homophobic language was not effective,” the study reads. “Other approaches to reduce homophobic language [and other forms of discrimination] such as peer-to-peer education, and enforcement of policies prohibiting specific language by coaches, should be explored.”
The results do indicate that homophobia is not the primary driver behind the use of slurs, rather a means “to conform to the behavioural norms in rugby”.
Dr Erik Denison, lead author on the paper titled ‘Effectiveness of an educational intervention targeting homophobic language use by young male athletes: a cluster randomised controlled trial’, said the results were “very disappointing”.
“The results are also hard to understand because most young men we study, including the rugby players, have positive attitudes towards gay people and would have no problem with having a gay player on their team,” Denison said.
“The vast majority also said they would stop others from bullying a gay teammate. Even more surprising, more than half said they have close gay friends. Despite all this, they are still using homophobic language, even after being told by professional rugby players that their behaviour is very harmful and to stop.
“We aren’t just talking about them using phrases like ‘that’s gay’. They are constantly using words like ‘faggot’. This language is deeply entrenched in male sport and it will be very difficult to stop.
“Boys report hearing their coaches and PE teachers using homophobic language as early as eight years old, and it seems they start using this language to conform to these older men and gain acceptance. This is how it remains so normalised in men’s sport.”
Rugby Victoria president, Neil Hay, who was heavily involved in the study, did not believe it showed rugby was “in any way unique”.
“It’s really true, from my experience of sports, that it’s a sport-wide thing,” Hay said. “It’s just that we were willing to stick our hand up and say ‘come and look at us’.”
Hay, who also spent several years coaching Victoria’s gay and inclusive rugby club, the Melbourne Chargers, foreshadowed further work with Monash University including targeted training of coaches, who “appear to be major influencers on this”.
“Because I think one of the things the study shows is that the vast majority of the language used, which is hurtful, is not done intentionally to hurt,” he said. “It’s to feel part of a bigger tribe group. And if it’s used by your leaders, then it’s going be accepted and acceptable, which isn’t accepted or acceptable to us as a governing body.
“We will make sure they understand it isn’t acceptable, and that sort of language doesn’t give you camaraderie – there are many better ways and options to do that.
“But how do we get into all the schools? How do we do diversity and inclusion? How do we do things on homophobic language if we don’t get assistance and help? How do we get the experts we can’t employ?”
Lachlan Mitchell, a Rebels foundation player who was among those to join then-captain Tom English in delivering the training, also felt the findings were “probably more symptomatic of society rather than a reflection of that sport”.
“The positive message for me was that there’s some learnings from that,” Mitchell said. “It’s a complex thing, so it’s not just a matter of athletes going and speaking to people, it’s got to be reinforced by everyone at all levels.
“When I think about that from a grassroots club’s perspective, it’s not necessarily a club’s key priority at any given time. Even though they opened their doors for us to be involved, grassroots clubs are struggling just to survive – getting volunteers and funding – that probably needs to be taken into account as well.”
