Dewsbury Rams and Jamaica international Magrin shared his experiences of racism at a Black Lives Matter protest in Leeds last year. Nearly a year on from that, he tells Sky Sports while some progress has been made in rugby league, there is still a lot more work to be done
Wednesday 26 May 2021 19:47, UK
Rugby league is a sport which has long prided itself on being open to all. A sport which, in 1895, was founded on the principle no one should be excluded from playing whatever their social or economic background.
A sport which can lay claim to having the first black coach of a British professional sporting club in Roy Francis, the first black captain of a British national team in 1972 World Cup hero Clive Sullivan, and the first black head coach of a British national team in Ellery Hanley.
It is a sport which, when Super League resumed post-lockdown last August, readily embraced support for the Black Lives Matter movement which had swept the world following the murder of George Floyd on May 25 last year.
And yet, the past year has exposed divisions in the sport which exist in wider society. Divisions which have seen those who have come forward to speak out about racism they have faced during their careers face a backlash.
It is something Jon Magrin, the Dewsbury Rams and Jamaica international forward who shared his story in front of a crowd of thousands at a Black Lives Matter protest in Leeds last June, has witnessed first-hand.
"If I'm honest, it's been quite disappointing to see the response to the growing awareness," Magrin told Sky Sports. "The death of George Floyd acted as a catalyst for these kinds of movements and there was such a strong opposition, which I found disappointing.
"Seeing comments from fans and even my peers - I think there has still been a lot of division in the past year when it should have been a time to come together and unite for a common cause. Personally, I don't feel like it's had that effect.
"Admitting there is a problem is the first step and from my personal conversations I've had over the past year, a lot of people don't believe there is a racism problem in the UK.
"But I feel like there are so many people with a common experience who are voicing that there is, why would they lie about that and why would my peers not believe me when I've said I've had these experiences?"
Magrin's international team-mates Michael Lawrence - who now sits on the RFL's eight-person inclusion and diversity board - and Ashton Golding are among those current players who have spoken out in the past year.
Icons of the sport like Martin Offiah and, more recently, Jason Robinson have opened up on the racist abuse they faced from the stands during their playing careers too.
Even if you don't align yourselves with the Black Lives Matter organisation, standing up against discrimination is something everyone should be fighting for.
In the past 12 months, as well as putting together the inclusion and diversity board, the RFL has launched the 'Tackle It' programme with the aims of tackling discrimination, bullying or abuse in both the club setting and match-day environment, increasing reporting of unacceptable language and to celebrate the diversity within rugby league.
But while Magrin has welcomed those steps, the negativity and hostility he has witnessed from some quarters in response to the sport showing support for Black Lives Matter and taking the knee prior to kick-off of matches backs up his view rugby league still has much to do before it becomes as open to all as it presents itself.
"That's the rhetoric and that's because the racism in rugby league has been normalised," Magrin said. "From my first year playing until recently, it has been like that.
"The comments you hear in changing rooms, the things you hear from coaches - and they might not say it with malice, but these things have an effect on players and are the things which make young black and Asian prospects not want to pick up the sport because of this notion they've got to go into a changing room and accept whatever someone says as banter or a joke, or not respond to certain comments because they've got a chip on their shoulder.
"You can't fix a problem if you don't know it's there. It's good the conversations are starting and I'm not knocking the RFL because they are taking steps.
"I just feel more can be done and I'm sure those conversations are being had. Awareness is the first step in moving forward."
The 26-year-old believes introducing compulsory education on diversity alongside the gambling and drug awareness courses all professional players have to go through ahead of each season would go a long way to developing empathy towards those affected by these issues.
Steps are already being taken by the RFL in regards to education, with the Inclusion Board being asked to review the governing body's approach to education and restorative justice mechanisms.
Elsewhere, an inclusion and diversity section is being added to the annual mandatory CoachRight module, a new learning module for match officials will be developed too, an e-learning module has been rolled out for the community game, while players and clubs have access to inclusion and diversity courses on the RFL's website.
Writing in an open letter published on Tuesday morning to mark a year since Floyd's murder, RFL CEO Ralph Rimmer acknowledged there is still more rugby league can do.
"The reality is that our sport is not fully representative of our communities - on professional or community pitches, in boardrooms and clubhouses, on the terraces and out in those communities," Rimmer wrote. "And this means that rugby league misses out on immense talent, passion, skills and experience, as well as opportunities to connect, learn, grow, and expand.
"Yet we know that rugby league can be a powerful force for good. We saw that throughout the pandemic with the fantastic work of clubs and foundations within their communities, and we see it through the many variations of our sport now on offer.
Rugby league can be, and wants to be, an actively anti-racist sport. Some people don't think racism exists in rugby league, but the reaction on RFL social media channels at any mention of Black Lives Matter tells a different story.
"Rugby league can be, and wants to be, an actively anti-racist sport. Some people don't think racism exists in rugby league, but the reaction on RFL social media channels at any mention of Black Lives Matter tells a different story."
Since taking his first steps in activism last year, Magrin has been educating himself as well by taking a deeper look at his feelings towards his own experiences and backing those up with historical context and evidence to back up his views when expressing them to others.
His hope is that will help those he speaks to understand another perspective and remains optimistic rugby league can get to the point where it becomes an example to other sports in being truly welcoming to everyone - providing people involved are willing to listen.
"My biggest hope is people are open to listening - and I mean on both sides," Magrin said. "The thing I'm seeing at the moment is that it's a very polarising issue, but it's polarising because people aren't willing to listen to other people and aren't willing to voice their opinion in a way which is conducive to healing and an open conversation.
"I do think there is hope, for sure. The conversations are being had and things are being put in place, I just hope that they'll be received by the fans and everyone in rugby league.
"Even if you don't align yourselves with the Black Lives Matter organisation, standing up against discrimination is something everyone should be fighting for."
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