A Cronulla Sharks junior player has been given a warning over tattoos he has on his upper thighs that include a gay slur.
The club had reportedly not noticed the player’s tattoos until a game photo was posted to social media which showed the two statements.
On one leg a tattoo reads ‘eat s**t fa**t’, while the message on the player’s other leg declares ‘snort lines and f***’.
The issue was first highlighted by sports reporter Phil ‘Buzz’ Rothfield, who posted about the concern in The Daily Telegraph.
Club officials had reportedly not noticed what the tattoos said.
“Just vile,” Rothfield said on Sunday morning during an appearance on The Big Sports Weekend. “They are so offensive. It is so homophobic.”
Rothfield said the club had acted quickly when made aware of the messages the player was displaying. The player concerned has not been publicly named.
A spokesperson for New South Wales Rugby League said the tattoos were not acceptable.
““We have a zero-tolerance to any form of bullying, harassment or vilification towards people with diverse sexualities and genders,” the spokesperson said.
“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.”
