Cronulla junior NRL player Joshua Taylor-Myles has debuted new ink to cover up thigh tattoos deemed homophobic and offensive by sports commentators after the rugby league governing body issued him with an ultimatum to do so or quit playing.
The 23-year-old player was told to cover up his tattoos that said "eat shit f—-t" and "snort lines and f—" or else he would not be able to continue his rugby league career.
Taylor-Myles is currently in Bali, where he documented undergoing the process of covering up his tattoos.
In a photo he posted to his Instagram, he showed the new design, which appears to be a Viking and a bear. He added two melting face emojis. In a separate post to his Instagram story, he added the caption "gone but not forgotten", seemingly referring to the offensive tattoos being covered up.
The father of one, who plays for the Aquinas Colts, faced a ban from New South Wales Rugby League-sanctioned competitions if he didn't cover the tattoos up.
Aquinas Colts did not respond to Gay Sydney News' request, nor did Taylor-Myles, who was given multiple opportunities to explain his tattoos.
It was previously reported that the club deleted from its Instagram feed a photo of Taylor-Myles representing the club in the inaugural Luke Lewis Cup. Taylor-Myles was named "Sharks Best" on the day, according to photos posted from the event that date back to June 8.
Just over a week later, social media users began circulating photos of Taylor-Myles at the event and highlighted the offensive tattoos on his thigh.
“Cronulla JRL has issued the player an official warning and asked him to cover the offending tattoos if he wishes to continue to play in any sanctioned NSWRL competition,” the NSW Rugby League said in a statement to media at the time.
It said the organisation has zero tolerance for any form of bullying, harassment or vilification towards people with diverse sexualities and genders.
“The NSWRL and Cronulla JRL are committed to providing a safe, fun and inclusive environment for all people, including those of diverse sexualities and genders,” it said. “Being an inclusive sport not only reflects our core values, it also reflects the diversity of our local communities.”
Eliot Hastie is a senior news producer at Channel Ten, reporting on a range of general stories, specialising in foreign affairs and LGBTQ+ stories. He’s also a reporter for Gay Sydney News, where he covers LGBTQIA+ culture, politics and nightlife. He previously helped to build and launch ausbiz, Australia's only live streaming finance news channel, where he was also an executive producer and host. He has previously worked as a finance and business journalist for publications including Fintech Business, Real Estate Business and other Momentum Media titles. Eliot holds a journalism degree from the University of Westminster and brings experience in both broadcast and digital reporting. Contact Eliot: [email protected]
