Rugby club faces sexism claims after ditching women's team
- Published
The Liberton women's team had found their own coach but the committee did not approve the hire
An Edinburgh rugby club has been accused of being misogynistic, racist and homophobic after cutting its women's team.
Liberton RFC's female players have criticised the club's committee after it said it could no longer accommodate the "additional needs" of the team.
They accused the committee of being "inaccessible and immovable" and said players had left due to the issues.
Liberton RFC committee has been approached for comment.
In a post on the Liberton RFC Women Facebook page, the women's squad said the club had come to the decision to disband the team when its committee felt providing a coach and team administration support was "more than they could offer".
Team captain Jess Sandham told BBC Scotland: "We've been around for about eight years now. We were disbanded by our committee early in January due to what they have called the "additional needs" of the women's rugby team.
"We had found a coach who was helping on a voluntary basis. But the committee didn't feel he was a good fit.
"Finding a coach is like gold dust at the moment. We had been searching for about six months. We didn't have any help from the committee in that search.
"He was happy to help on a voluntary basis working towards his qualifications. But the committee decided he wasn't appropriate to coach the team.
"Effectively Liberton Women's Rugby team no longer exists, and we are all disappointed."
Captain Jess Sandham wants to try to keep the squad together and playing rugby
The women's side said the players had found their own coach, carried out their own recruitment, organised their own physio and social media, published their own match reports and found sponsorship as well as setting up their own matchdays and catering.
But they said the situation had been "brewing for some time" after concerns had been raised periodically.
They said any issues were "shut down or dismissed" by the committee who had also reduced women's team members by 50%.
In the team's online statement were claims of "misogynistic, racist and homophobic comments and behaviour at the club", and the committee was accused of being "inaccessible and immovable".
'Not treated with seriousness'
Ms Sandham said: "The hostility among non-rugby-playing members and players boiled down to social settings within the club - inappropriate comments, homophobic, racist comments often made in a throwaway manner towards players but with significant impact.
"We have had players leave the club altogether over these issues and when we have raised these to the committee they have just not been treated with the seriousness that we would have expected.
"Rather than conduct an investigation themselves and take it seriously, they put the onus back on the players themselves to provide more evidence that they actually happened."
Other women's clubs have gathered in support of the Liberton Women including Watsonians Women's Rugby club which said: "Grassroots women's rugby should be an inclusive environment to grow not just rugby as a game, but to foster an inclusive environment for women of Scotland who continue to face racism, homophobia and misogyny both on and off the pitch.
"A rugby team should be a safe space, and we are sorry to hear our sisters at Liberton did not find this due to poor leadership."
Some players have left the club due to hostility, according to the women's captain
The women have asked the Scottish Rugby Union and World Rugby for support.
The SRU told BBC Scotland: "Scottish Rugby has been in recent and regular contact with Liberton FP RFC and is aware of the issues being raised by the women's team.
"Whilst no formal complaint has been received from the team we have reached out to them to understand if this is a route they intend to pursue.
"We are already in active discussions with the club about governance and take any claims and complaints of this nature very seriously.
"Scottish Rugby managers are also working with the players affected to investigate other options for them to continue playing locally in the meantime."
Sport Minister Maree Todd said the Scottish government was aware that Scottish Rugby was in contact with Liberton RFC "to establish the circumstances around these allegations".
She added: "The Scottish government is absolutely clear that there is no place for racism or discrimination of any kind in sport, or wider society - whether it is racism, misogyny or homophobia."
BBC Scotland has approached the committee of Liberton RFC for a response.
Women's rugby is enjoying an exciting period, with the Rugby World Cup having taken place in New Zealand in October and November and the Women's Six Nations due to kick off in March.
Last year 28 members of the Scotland women's rugby team were awarded professional contracts for the first time.