Ronan O’Gara is facing accusations of sexism after old remarks resurfaced in which he seemingly asserted that rugby was ‘too complex’ for women.
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The contentious comments were made during an interview with the Irish Independent in 2016, where O’Gara, currently serving as the head coach of La Rochelle, was accompanied by his wife, Jessica Daly.
Discussing O’Gara’s rugby career, the former fly-half humorously remarked that his wife ‘wouldn’t have a clue what’s going on’ during games, eliciting a reaction from Daly.
In response, O’Gara quipped, ‘Well, if she was into rugby that much, it wouldn’t work either, because some women do try and offer their opinion about the game, and the game is too complex for them to have an input on.’
He then added, ‘No, but for a lot of them. It’s very good to separate them.’
The comments have caused a storm on social media with O’Gara’s character being questioned.
Rugby scribe Jessica Hayden wrote: “I just read the whole article and my jaw dropped.”
Another fan commented: “Well…. I hadn’t realised my uterus meant my 6 years playing, and 40 years watching the game, were wasted. What a bellend.”
A third said: “s this a spoof? He never said that surely?”
“I just read that article for the first time- it is astounding!” said another.
O’Gara and Daly are parents to five children. Twins Rua and Molly were born in 2008 while their three sons – JJ, Zak, and Max – were born in 2010, 2012, and 2014 respectively.
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