EDUCATE BILLY, DON’T BAN HIM

SACK him. Ban them. Anything, really, to distance it all from us. The instant response to Israel Folau and Billy Vunipola is one of justified outrage and frustration. Yet in 2019, the urge is for recriminations when education is needed. Rugby Australia had issued a previous warning to Folau and following his latest invective, his sacking was inevitable. Yet in the case of Billy Vunipola, the RFU and Saracens should sense opportunity rather than crisis. This is his first offence and it is time to reach out, rather than push away. Vunipola’s defence of Folau’s assertion that gay people are destined for hell is hurtful and harmful to the LGBT community. Many companies would view this as grounds for dismissal. Vunipola grew up in Sydney, the son of Tongan parents. His mother is a Methodist minister. In Tonga, homosexuality remains outlawed. Amid such forces, it may be that Vunipola’s viewpoint will never change. Yet he has the privilege of a platform bestowed upon him by England, the country he chose to represent, and this brings responsibility. The RFU must insist on a clear education programme, in partnership with a progressive church and LGBT charities, that informs Vunipola on the harm of his words. Spare a thought for any young player concealing their sexuality at Saracens and alarmed that one of the dressing room’s most prominent voices might oppose their presence. Let us not pretend that this issue is confined to a couple of lone voices of Tongan descent. Several English players liked Vunipola’s statement. Vunipola is not irredeemable. Indeed, if he opens his mind, he may yet do some good. Whether he grasps the opportunity is another matter entirely.