Asu Kepaoa was the fifth player charged with using a homophobic slur in NSW Rugby League competitions in the last two years, and officials hope the lengthy ban he was given on Wednesday sends a strong message that such behaviour will never be tolerated.
Kepaoa was hit with a six-match ban after he pleaded guilty to calling a St George Illawarra rival a “f—ing f—-t” during a NSW Cup match last Friday.
The slur was overheard by the referee, and Kepaoa was sent straight from the field. It was argued at the judiciary that Kepaoa used the term three separate times, an allegation he disputed on the night.
This masthead can reveal that four other players have been charged over the past two seasons in the various state competitions for using homophobic slurs, with the maximum previous penalty having been three games.
Those bans were handed to a Sydney Roosters player in the Jersey Flegg competition and a senior player in Illawarra’s Harrigan Cup.
However, a North Sydney player also received a suspension of just one match for using a homophobic slur in last year’s NSW Cup, which raised a question as to whether Kepaoa was dealt with comparatively harshly.
Homophobia and sexuality in rugby league returned to the spotlight earlier this month when former Sydney Roosters prop Kane Evans revealed he was gay, but had hidden his sexuality and used alcohol and drugs to cope. He admitted to having had suicidal thoughts.
The Roosters offered him a part-time job last week after Evans was subjected to homophobic remarks on work sites because of his public confession on Nine’s 100% Footy.
NSWRL chief executive Dave Trodden said Evans’ coming out had nothing to do with the punishment handed to Kepaoa, which was intended to send a strong message to other players that such remarks would not be tolerated.
NSWRL counsel had pushed for an eight-match ban before the judiciary settled on six games.
“When you talk about general deterrence, when there have been five [homophobic slur] instances in a short time, the message has to be a stronger message because the other messages haven’t been getting through,” Trodden told this masthead on Thursday.
“The specific deterrence were also at the more serious end because the allegation was he [Kepaoa] said the word multiple times, not once. When you combine the general and specific deterrence, you come up with a heavier penalty.
“Those comments are absolutely unacceptable. We stand for inclusion, and anyone who plays our sport needs to feel like there is a place for them in rugby league.
“Every time somebody says something or does something that questions calls into question that inclusivity, we have to come down hard on them – and we will.”
The last player banned for using a homophobic slur in an NRL game was Marcelo Montoya, who was then playing with the New Zealand Warriors.
Kepaoa, who has played 42 NRL games but is yet to make his first-grade club debut with the Knights, issued a personal apology on the night and was aware of the harm caused by his choice of words.
The Knights issued a statement late on Wednesday, which said: “The Newcastle Knights are an inclusive club and pride ourselves on being a welcoming place for all players, staff and supporters.
“Language that causes harm to individuals or communities has no place in our club, the NRL or in our community.”
Knights coach Justin Holbrook vowing Newcastle vowed the club would learn from the saga. “Everyone knows it’s not right, and he’s paid a heavy price for that, personally and as a club,” Holbrook said on Thursday.
“We do a lot of education in those areas but what happened was not right and [Kepaoa] has accepted responsibility and the outcome of it. We’ve got to move on and learn from it.”
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