Lawes: 'There are certain subjects that people now can't talk about and can't express their opinion on'
Northampton Saints lock Courtney Lawes says he believes those in the 'middle' need to find their voice in order to combat the increasingly divisive agendas being pushed on either side of the political aisle.
Lawes hasn't built a career in rugby by avoiding on-field collisions and has increasingly taken the same, unflinching approach to his social media accounts. The England second row, in rugby union circles at least, has become an outspoken champion of freedom of speech and hasn't been afraid to voice opinions that haven't always sat well with those on Twitter's sizable left.
His views on marriage, parenting and race have undeniably made him a target online, where some of those that oppose his views have even attempted to incite sponsors to drop him. He's refused to be cowed, despite numerous run-ins with what some have come to refer to as 'woke Twitter'.
What's more, Lawes says it's the erosion of personal freedoms - especially relating to speech - that has kindled his interest in politics and says he has made it his business to inform himself on any subject he addresses.
"I'm educated on certain things. I'll go out of my way to know the facts first and try to make a logical conclusion from them," Lawes told Jim Hamilton on the RugbyPass' Lockdown podcast. "The reason I got into my politics is that I feel like our freedoms are slowly being taken away from us. Your human rights and freedoms - freedom of speech probably being the most important one.
"So your freedom to express your own opinions, to counter other opinions. It's very important.
"But we both know, both of us sitting here, and those listening in, that there are certain subjects that they now can't talk about and can't express their opinion on, unless their opinion is a certain thing, is coming from a certain place, is coming from a certain side of the argument. That is an infringement on someone's freedom.
"Everybody, regardless of what they look like or where they come from, should be able to express their opinion. That's a basic human right, in my opinion."
Saints' low-key, unified response to Black Lives Matter (BLM) on rugby's restart weekend, was very much by design according to Lawes.
"Knowing politics and what it is at the minute, it's become very divisive - and we [Northampton Saints] didn't want that.
"I could see it coming a mile off. What kneeling and what Black Lives Matter represent is different to different people. Some people see it as one thing and other people see it as another. That's not to say anyone is in the wrong or right, it's maybe just how deep you've looked into the situation possibly?
"And whether you can differentiate between saying black lives matter, which of course they do, and the kind of organization, movement, which in my opinion, is something a bit different.
"It's a very difficult subject for anybody nowadays. The reason I didn't want it coming into rugby is because it doesn't matter what side of the argument you stand on, you're going to get backlash regardless because it just incredibly divisive, and that's why we as a club went about it in a different direction.
"There's a bigger picture going on in America and we're just having some spillover in Britain, that's what you're seeing here. Basically a watered-down version of what is happening in America.
"It's on people to go out and have a look at the organisation and what's on the website, and have a look at what's going on in America.
"I don't want to go too far into it. People have to realise why some people are not on board with it and not just call them racist because they don't want to get behind it.
"Go and talk to them. Ask them why it is they don't get behind and if it is because they don't think our lives matter, then maybe you're right about them, but if they say it represents this, maybe have a think about it, go and have a look yourself.
"That's the crux of it. We're in an age where people in the middle are going to have to start speaking up, because the fringes are starting to take over, so people need to find their voice.
"I'm a mixed-race bloke who grew up in not a lot of money. I had good parents and they gave me good values. I was able to do well. I haven't flippin' completed life.
"I'm going to have to go back to work when I'm finished [with rugby]. I've picked rugby, and rugby's not the best-paying sport on the world. It's my choice so I stand by my decisions and I'll be accountable for those decisions.
"It's not like I've made it, made it, but I've done alright for myself. For me, most people can be successful. In terms of what success means to me, it is putting your children in a better place than you started. Giving them better opportunities than you had. My dad is still not worth that much in terms of wealth, but he's very successful to me. He came at 12 years old with nothing at all, and he managed to give me a life and give me opportunities in life, to myself where I am today. That's what we can all do."
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This is the problem with conservative mindsets and phycology, and homogenous sports, everybody wants to be the same, use the i-win template. Athlete wise everyone has to have muscles and work at the gym to make themselves more likely to hold on that one tackle. Do those players even wonder if they are now more likely to be tackled by that player as a result of there “work”? Really though, too many questions, Jake. Is it better Jake? Yes, because you still have that rugby of ole that you talk about. Is it at the highest International level anymore? No, but you go to your club or checkout your representative side and still engage with that ‘beautiful game’. Could you also have a bit of that at the top if coaches encouraged there team to play and incentivized players like Damian McKenzie and Ange Capuozzo? Of course we could. Sadly Rugby doesn’t, or didn’t, really know what direction to go when professionalism came. Things like the state of northern pitches didn’t help. Over the last two or three decades I feel like I’ve been fortunate to have all that Jake wants. There was International quality Super Rugby to adore, then the next level below I could watch club mates, pulling 9 to 5s, take on the countries best in representative rugby. Rugby played with flair and not too much riding on the consequences. It was beautiful. That largely still exists today, but with the world of rugby not quite getting things right, the picture is now being painted in NZ that that level of rugby is not required in the “pathway” to Super Rugby or All Black rugby. You might wonder if NZR is right and the pathway shouldn’t include the ‘amateur’, but let me tell you, even though the NPC might be made up of people still having to pull 9-5s, we know these people still have dreams to get out of that, and aren’t likely to give them. They will be lost. That will put a real strain on the concept of whether “visceral thrill, derring-do and joyful abandon” type rugby will remain under the professional level here in NZ. I think at some point that can be eroded as well. If only wanting the best athlete’s at the top level wasn’t enough to lose that, shutting off the next group, or level, or rugby players from easy access to express and showcase themselves certainly will. That all comes back around to the same question of professionalism in rugby and whether it got things right, and rugby is better now. Maybe the answer is turning into a “no”?
Go to commentsWow, didn’t realise there was such apathy to URC in SA, or by Champions Cup teams. Just read Nick’s article on Crusaders, are Sharks a similar circumstance? I think SA rugby has been far more balanced than NZs, no?
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