No Place on the Rugby Field
**UPDATE: Massive thank you to everyone that contributed, together we have raised the funds needed for the advert. Anything further donated will go to support the work of Women's Aid Northern Ireland **
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Across Ireland, north and south, and beyond there has been a wave of revulsion against the self-admitted behaviour of rugby players Paddy Jackson and Stuart Olding and their friends Blane McIlroy and Rory Harrison. The court has made its decision, but we can make sure that the Ulster Rugby and Irish Rugby Football Union show moral leadership.
Olding and Jackson should never be allowed to don an Ulster or Ireland jersey, now or at any point in the future. To allow these men to play would send a green light for the future abuse of women. These men do not and cannot represent us.
Right now Ulster Rugby and Irish Rugby Football Union
are holding their own enquiries so the next week is crucial for influencing their decision. We want to send them a message they can’t ignore so we’re crowdfunding a full-page advert to appear in Friday’s Belfast Telegraph asking them to kick these men off the squad.
Text of the advert* (NB this has been updated).
“To the leadership of the Irish Rugby Football Union and Ulster Rugby
The content of the social media exchanges involving Paddy Jackson and Stuart Olding was reprehensible. Such behaviour falls far beneath the standards that your organisations represent and as such we demand that neither of these men represents Ulster or Ireland now or at any point in the future.
We expect an answer to this letter.
Yours,
Concerned fans
This advert was crowdfunded by XXX members of the public to send a message you can’t ignore.”
The court has made its decision. But now it is up to us to come together and show that we will not accept these men representing our country on the international stage. We owe it to women everywhere to say enough is is enough, they do not represent us, they do not play in our name.
HOW THIS WORKS
*The advert will cost £2000 . A cheap ticket for a rugby costs £14, donate that if you can but anything will help.
*We must raise these funds by Wednesday so we can influence these organisations while decide upon these men’s futures.
*If we don’t reach the target or if we raise extra money, funds will be donated to Women's Aid Northern Ireland who do fantastic work addressing domestic and sexual violence and providing services for women and children
* In lieu of charging a platform fee, GoFundMe relies on voluntary tips from donors to help with the costs associated with providing trust & safety protections, customer support, and social fundraising features.
* Standard payment processing applies.
*This campaign is organised by Lara and Anna . In our day jobs we’re a journalist and a human rights campaigner. But we’re running this campaign as two concerned women from Belfast who believe this decision will influence the behaviour of men for decades to come in the country we love.
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SPREADING THE WORD
If you want to share this on social here is some ideas for text you can use:
I just chipped in to crowdfund an advert to make sure Paddy Jackson, Stuart Olding, Blane McIlroy and Rory Harrison never represent me. Join me.
Twitter
I just donated to send a message to @IrishRugby and @UlsterRugby a message they can’t ignore. Join me https://www.gofundme.com/noplaceonarugbyfield