Cronulla prop Toby Rudolf has thrown his support behind the introduction of a Pride round as he opens up about his own same-sex experiences.
In a revealing interview with The Sydney Morning Herald, Rudolf, seen as one of the nicest players in the NRL, said while he identified as straight, “love is love and I love sharing it with everybody.”
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After Manly’s 20-10 loss to the Sydney Roosters, which was overshadowed by seven Manly players refusing to wear a rainbow shirt because it went against their religious beliefs, the president of the Australian Rugby League commissioner Peter V’landys said the NRL would consider a round of pride.
Rudolf said that he fully supported this move and that he thought it would have the support of the majority.
Toby Rudolf of the Sharks. (Getty)
“I haven’t gotten caught up in the Manly situation,” he said. “What I will say is that I was raised by a lot of the gay and lesbian community. My uncle is gay and my godmother is gay, and there’s a lot of love in that community.
“Sexuality is very fluid. I’ve dated and kissed a lot of gay men, I’ve kissed a lot of straight women, and I’ve kissed a lot of gay women,” he said.
“I’m not a one-stop shop. Love is love, and I love sharing it with everyone. You could say I’m open to both genders, but I’m only attracted to one of them.”
Rudolf was cautioned at the start of the 2021 season, when he said during a post-match TV interview that he plans to get drunk and go to Northies and “try to get something out – anyone can serve”.
The comments at the time were criticized for being disrespectful to women, but Rudolf said he never specified what he meant during the chat.
“At the time of this interview I never said ‘women,'” Rudolf said.
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