Ugo Monye: Rugby union must tackle 'heavy drinking culture' and 'laddish behaviour'

Rugby union must tackle the sport’s “heavy drinking culture” and “laddish” changing-room behaviour if it is to truly embrace its core value of being a sport for all, according to former England wing Ugo Monye.

Monye, who is chair of the Rugby Football Union’s independent advisory group on diversity and inclusion, is concerned that the sport’s deep-rooted association with alcohol could be acting as a deterrent to sections of society at a time when grass-roots participation levels across the country have been falling.

The Rugby Football Union this week announced the biggest overhaul of the men’s community game in 30 years as part of a bid to attract more players to the sport.

Monye, the former Harlequins player who won 14 caps for England and played in two Tests for the British and Irish Lions on the tour of South Africa in 2009, insists that for rugby union to broaden its appeal it must reassess its drinking traditions that remain a feature of both the grass-roots and professional levels of the game.

Alcohol advertising and sponsorship continues to dominate the sport’s highest-profile tournaments, including the Six Nations and European Champions Cup, while bottles of champagne will be on hand at Twickenham on Saturday to celebrate the winners of the Premiership final.

Monye insists the game must do better to reflect all sections of society by addressing the issue.

“When I did some rugby foundation work in communities in Birmingham recently, I thought: ‘Is our game really a sport for all?’” Monye told Telegraph Sport. “I do think at the heart of it is, but I do think we also need to be mindful of some of the stereotypes and traditions that we used to have and that have kind of seeped into this professional age.

“There has always been a heavy drinking culture within rugby. I invested heavily into that as well during my playing days, and I enjoyed it. But if I was in Birmingham, in a densely-populated Muslim community, and my teenage kids wanted to play rugby, as a parent, my perception of rugby would be: ‘All they do is drink after every match - I don't want my children to be a part of that.’

“Rugby can't be afraid of what it is, but I do think it also needs to mirror the present day and where we are in society. Everyone always says sports should be a reflection of society.

“I'd go one step further and say I think sport should be a best reflection of society - and rugby, just by the dynamic of the game which it is, it really and truly is a game for all shapes and sizes from the physical aspect, but I think beyond that, it should also reflect absolutely every single attitude if we really want to stand by that statement in the first place.”

Monye, who made over 200 appearances for Harlequins and won the Premiership title in 2012, said there had been a “fairly laddish” changing room at the club and wonders now if that kind of environment had also prevented players in the game from feeling comfortable about expressing their sexuality.

There are currently no openly-gay active male players in the Premiership although Leinster’s second-row forward Jack Dunne, who is joining Exeter Chiefs next season, spoke publicly last year about his bisexuality.

Monye said he had reflected on that situation when one of his former team-mates, Simon Miall, came out publicly as gay but only after he had retired from Quins in 2007 after five seasons with the club.

“When Simon came out when he retired, automatically you think, ‘oh gosh, what kind of environment did we foster at Harlequins for him to maybe not be comfortable enough? Was it the sport? Was it his family set-up at home? Was it his friends? Where did the pressure come from for him not to be his full self at work where he spent a lot of time with us - away trips, tours, pre seasons?'

“I thought about it and if I was to be totally honest, I think we had what I'd call a fairly laddish changing room. I ashamedly say it not because I think we purposely went out to hurt people or upset people or anything like that. But when the consequence of that is someone potentially not wanting to reveal the core of themselves within that setting, you start to understand.

“I've spoken to Simon. I've seen him since he's come out. He has come to Harlequins and the club has done unbelievable work in raising awareness and so has the sport in general but they are lessons you take on board, that make you feel humble and try to change you for the better and give you a greater perspective.

“I have an unwanted relationship with racism but if I want equity across our sport, I shouldn’t just care for that, I should care for everything.”