England and Exeter Chiefs centre Henry Slade has become the first high-profile British sportsperson to turn down the vaccination.
“I am not going to have a vaccine. I don’t agree with it all,” the Plymouth native told the Daily Telegraph .
Slade added: “I don’t think you can trust it, can you? I don’t think it [vaccination against Covid] has been going long.
“There is no way of knowing what could happen with it in the future. I am perfectly fit and healthy. I don’t fancy it at all.”
England teammate Courtney Lawes, who isn’t afraid of sharing a controversial opinion on social media, rushed to Slade’s defence.
“I wonder how many people abusing sladey right now have tweeted “be kind” in the last couple of month’s,” wrote Lawes.
“Guess we’re not “stamping out” online abuse atm? Thing is I’ll defend your right to say what u like, but I just want to tell u guys, u ain’t the good people u think u are.”
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ABUSE:
LIST | 5 rugby stars who overcame disabilities, including Henry Slade
1. Ian Mckinley – Blindness
It’s now roughly eight years since the accident that led to Ian McKinley losing the sight in his left eye. In a freak accident, a stray boot from a fellow teammate perforated his left eye while playing a club match in 2010 for University College Dublin, leaving him partially blind in that eye. The injury would be a career-ending one for 99.9% of professional athletes but not for McKinley.
One of the most extraordinary things of this or any other Six Nations. Ian McKinley, blind in his left eye, kicking off his left foot. A Dubliner V Ireland tomorrow @ITVRugby pic.twitter.com/Z1kSXCFw3D
— Nick Mullins (@andNickMullins) February 23, 2019