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If You Don’t Respect Women, “You’re A Grub”: Watch This NRL Legend Tackle Toxic Masculinity

Turns out not all footy players are grubs.

by Joseph Earp  8 March 2019
Luke Lewis appeared on Fox News to confront toxic masculinity

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Former NRL player Luke Lewis has had enough of the excuses. As far as he is concerned, the NRL needs to sort out its longstanding history with toxic masculinity — and it needs to do it now.

This story contains discussion of rape and assault.

Lewis made the comments while appearing on Fox Sports’ NRL 360, a leading panel sports show. He was one of a number of panellists called on to discuss a recent interview with James Graham, a St. George Illawara player who told a journalist that rugby attracts a specific “personality type” and that in turn explains the sport’s complicated history with domestic violence and alleged sexual assault.

But, rather than accept this deeply flawed excuse — what’s the “personality type” that results in a predilection towards violence against women, exactly? — Lewis used the panel appearance to call out the NRL, and to demand change.

Responding to claims that the culture encourages players to be “uncivilised”, Lewis chimed in with a fiery riposte.

“I totally disagree,” he said. “You either have morals or you don’t. My morals are, you don’t belt a woman. That’s just how it is.

“I’m a proud ambassador for White Ribbon. And I just don’t respect any man who goes out and belts a woman. It’s just not right.”

From there, Lewis condemned players who resist change, and who highlight the nebulous concept of “cultural change” as needing to come first.

“If we’re going to sit here and talk about the game changing and the culture changing — if you’re gonna come into the game, get paid ridiculously well, and you can’t change your morals because we’ve gotta ‘change the culture’… Well, you’ve gotta change your culture mentally.

“You’re the one who has gotta turn up and say, ‘I don’t wanna belt women. I wanna be a different person. I wanna be a role model.’ And if you don’t wanna do it, don’t turn up. Don’t play the game.”

Lewis’ words come at a time of increased scrutiny for the NRL. Rugby league star Jarryd Hayne is currently standing trial, accused of raping a woman, and player Jack De Belin is currently suing the NRL after receiving a lifetime ban from the sport following a rape charge.