“IN MY CHILDHOOD WE DIDN’T KNOW ABOUT MUSLIM SUPERSTARS”
WASPS AND South Africa back-row Nizaam Carr begins by making one thing clear: “Rugby, and I’ve said this before, speaks one language. It’s not about the colour of your skin, your religion, your background. It’s about performing on the day, getting the win, and making the coaches and fans happy.”
Carr was the first Muslim to play for the Springboks and is the most high-profile Muslim in English rugby. There were 42 Muslim footballers in the Premier League in the 2019-20 season alone, but Carr is the most well-known in rugby’s top flight since British-Iranian scrum-half Aadel Kardooni played for Leicester Tigers in the 1990s.
So while rugby markets itself as a game for all shapes and sizes, can it also be seen as a sport for all faiths?
THE LACK of Muslim representation within English rugby is doubly surprising when compared to the prevalence of French Muslims in the Top 14. France’s national team has boasted several players from Muslim backgrounds in recent years, including Rabah Slimani, Mohamed Haouas and Sofiane Guitoune.
This representation has historically reached the top of the sport in France too. Les Bleus
