This week, Dublin University Football Club’s (DUFC) men’s and women’s first teams agreed to lace up with fresh new rainbow laces to demonstrate support of the LGBT community. The initiative, in partnership with Trinity College Dublin Students’ Union (TCDSU), aims to help promote a culture of inclusivity in sport.
In a press statement, the TCDSU Sports Officer, Aengus Officer, spoke of the role sport plays in the lives of LGBT people: “I think it’s so important to highlight how much sport means to the LGBTQ+ community. I believe that sport should be accessible to everyone and I hope that events like this can enforce that.” Officer also expressed his gratitude to Dublin University Football Club (DUFC) for its hard work in making the campaign a reality, extending his thanks to DUFC “for being so supportive of the project from start to finish”.
The laces were first worn by DUFC’s Women’s first team last night during the side’s defeat away to rivals University College Dublin (UCD). Speaking ahead of the game, team captain Molly Boyne emphasised the inclusivity of rugby as a sport. “It doesn’t matter what size or shape you are, where you come from or what your sexual orientation is, there is always a place for you on the pitch. Our team and our club is so diverse, with players from all courses and from all around the globe uniting for the love of the game.”
Boyne went on to speak of her pride in supporting “members of the LGBTQ+ community within our club, our college and beyond”.
Echoing those sentiments, men’s captain Michael Courtney also spoke of the inclusivity of rugby and his personal pride in “raising awareness for the LGBTQ+ community in the Ulster Bank League (UBL) by wearing rainbow laces”.
DUFC’s men’s team will wear the laces as it faces Garryowen on Saturday. “This game is a huge test for myself and the lads, and coupled with raising awareness for the LGBTQ+ community it should be a cracking game of rugby”, he said.
