Sir, – The recent sponsorship agreement between the United Rugby Championship and Qatar Airways is deeply disturbing for a sport that, with some justification, makes much of its core values.
Johnny Watterson clearly outlined why Qatar’s state- owned airline is not a fit partner for an organisation that values respect and equality (“Rugby was selling its values on the open market and Qatar saw a bargain”, Sport, September 9th).
The IRFU is a shareholder in the holding company that owns the URC. It should use its position to ensure that the URC reverses the decision to accept sponsorship from a company owned by a state with a well-documented history of misogyny, slavery and homophobia.
The IRFU does not have a proud history of moral leadership given its history of touring apartheid South Africa in defiance of an international boycott. It now has an opportunity to show that it has learned something in the last 40 years.
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I urge all members of constituent clubs, and particularly frontline players and coaches of the professional sector of the game to make their voices heard and show that Irish rugby really does value respect and equality by calling for the cancellation of this agreement. – Yours, etc,
MICHAEL O’BYRNE,
Bagenalstown,
Co Carlow.
