A-League clubs embrace Pride Cup after NBL jersey drama

The fallout from the NBL’s pride jersey saga has continued, with one club taken to task by a couple of football stars as they prepare for their own Pride Cup.

Kayla Morrison of the Melbourne Victory, Isabel Hodgson of Adelaide United and Josh Brillante of the Melbourne Victory. Adelaide and the Victory are diving into another Pride Cup, shocked and saddened by the lack of full-sport support for pride jerseys in the NBL. Picture: Morgan Hancock / Getty Images

A-League clubs Adelaide United and Melbourne Victory are diving into another Pride Cup shocked and saddened by the lack of full-sport support for pride jerseys in the NBL.

The two clubs embraced the inaugural Pride Cup last year in the wake of Adelaide’s Josh Cavallo becoming the men’s competition’s only openly gay player and will wear rainbow shirt numbers and armbands as a display of support for the LGBTQI+ community in football.

It’s expected the A-League will also launch its first pride round across both the men’s and women’s competitions when Adelaide and the Victory play in February, with the caveat that no player or club will be forced to take part if it conflicts with their personal beliefs.

Captains will be able to wear a rainbow armband and no player will be forced to wear anything they are uncomfortable with.

But it’s unlikely there will be any pushback from anyone at Adelaide or Melbourne, with two star W-League players decrying the Cairns Taipans for refusing to wear the NBL’s pride jersey last week.

Isabel Hodgson of Adelaide United. Picture: Morgan Hancock / Getty Images

Adelaide captain Izzy Hodgson, who is delighted to be “at the forefront” of such an important game for so many, said it was “shocking” to see what happened with the stance taken by the Taipans.

“It’s always disappointing to see that; I come from a club and a sport that is so welcoming, it kind of is shocking to me that in this day and age that’s still something that is happening,” she said.

“Adelaide is a family club and between the men and women, we support each other, we both wear the rainbow armband and try to make it a very inclusive environment.

“I really hope in the future we can move to all sports to being inclusive; there’s LGBT people in every sport and it would be really great for them to feel as safe as I do.”

Absolutely weak @CairnsTaipans - your explanation doesn't add up either.
Your team copped abuse, so you've decided to opt out instead of making a really powerful stand?
Isolation instead of inclusivity?#disappointinghttps://t.co/n3opIDx6Lm

— Sam Squiers (@SamSquiers) January 25, 2023

Her Melbourne Victory rival Kayla Morrison was equally shocked and said the Pride Cup was about taking the chance to “enjoy loving love” and not creating division.

“At this point in life and the world, it’s disappointing to see anybody not standing up for what’s right, or kind of turning their back on such a big issue,” she said.

“There’s already so much hate in the world, so to continue doing that in a big open space where you are affecting kids and other people is sad to see.”

The two clubs will clash in a double-header at AAMI Park in Melbourne on Sunday, 26 February.

Originally published as A-League clubs embrace Pride Cup after NBL jersey drama