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Nigel Owens' riposte to boxer who suggests death sentence as gay deterrent
By Ian Cameron
International referee Nigel Owens has hit out at comments made by an Australian boxer who suggested the death penalty could be used to deter people from being gay.
Former champion boxer Anthony Mundine - who has close associations with All Blacks star Sonny Bill Williams and Wallabies flyhalf Quade Cooper - suggested the deterrent after being voted off a reality TV show.
Mundine is reported as saying: "If we were to live in a society, just like in Aboriginal culture, that homosexuality is forbidden and you do it and the consequences are capital punishment or death, you think you are going to do it? Or think twice about doing it?”
Owens - an LGBTQ advocate and gay man - took to Twitter to slam the boxer's comments.
"Being gay is not a choice," stated Owens.
"I fought against being who I truly am for years but then realised I had no choice in the matter. But you have a choice to respect and treat everyone the same. Maybe this clown will have a son one day who will be gay. Will he tie the noose himself?"
Mundine then took to social media to say that his comments were an expression of his religious views.
Mundine has close associations with Sonny Bill Williams and Quade Cooper - both of whom have flirted with professional boxing careers. All three have at some stage being managed or represented by promoter Khoder Nasser.
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Latest Comments
Yet Ethan Blackadder was one of our best against the World Champion Springbok. When he came back to the Crusaders later in the season , he made a huge difference, ( a long with others like Codie Taylor), we nearly made the Play Off's. Ethan has plenty of rugby left in him. His family , Dad Todd Blackadder must be very [proud of him. Todd Blackadder was a 3 time champion captain of the Crusaders, '98, '99 and 2000.An icon in this area. Also twice captain of Canterbury , '97 and 2001 when we won the NPC and Ranfurly Shield winning captain in 2000.
Go to commentsIt's the same criticism of Dmac and Mo'unga as well. Sadly the way the game has been heading recently it's the only way to break down a defence, and a player of Lawrences nature would have a very limited chance at doing that because he's too one dimensional.
Noah Lolesio is your sort of player and that worked OK, but only because his team is far more creative than Englands for example. The highly organized Irish attack was also another that didn't require much from the 10, but that is now changing with Prendergast who is in that league mold like the most new age 10's.
So it is in fact your two which would require even more change to make the most of than Marcus Smith.
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