On Wednesday evening, something truly remarkable happened at Odsal Stadium in Bradford. For the first time in British Rugby League, an Iftar Event was held – bringing together over 50 guests from different faiths and backgrounds to observe Ramadan and break their daily fast.
The Iftar marked a significant milestone for inclusion in the sport, demonstrating that everyone is welcome at Odsal Stadium, no matter where they come from or what faith they follow. Guests included RFL Chief Executive Tony Sutton and Rimla Akhtar OBE, chair of the Rugby League Inclusion Board, alongside player Jansin Turgut, a former back row for Hull FC, who are observing Ramadan.
Speaking about the event, Commercial Manager Ian Stafford said: “It was fantastic to see so many different communities coming together, learning from one another, and observing the Muslim prayer before breaking their fast. We are an inclusive club, and our stadium is inclusive. You are welcome here no matter where you are from or what you believe in, and last night was another example of that.”
The event was a collaborative effort steered by Dr Ikram Butt, CEO of BARA – British Asian Rugby Association and the first British Muslim to represent England in either code of rugby. Dr Butt was joined by Siddique Amin, Managing Director at LA Romantica Beds; Humayun Islam BEM BCAc; Faz Ali and Junaid Malik in helping make this Iftar possible.
Dr Butt said: “The Iftar aims to promote positive dialogue, inclusivity, and understanding, as well as bringing communities together and developing the understanding of Ramadan. Everyone seemed to have learnt something new and had a good time which is very pleasing.”
Siddique Amin added: “What stood out for me was how friendly the event was on Wednesday and how all parties present were open and honest with each other. The most important thing was not the Iftar but being together as one community, eating together.”
While the Iftar held in collaboration with Bradford Bulls makes history, Dr Butt has attended Iftar at the House of Commons with the speaker of the house Rt Hon Sir Lindsay Hoyle. The speaker and Dr Butt agree it’s important to help others understand Islam is a progressive religion beyond the typical and common stereotypes portrayed in the broader media.
Highlighting the thorny subject of stereotypes and inclusivity is an issue that must be addressed; after speaking to Dr Butt, we agreed that not enough is being done to include the local South Asian community and the wider Asian community to participate in sport actively, particularly Rugby League and Rugby Union.
Dr Butt is a spokesperson for the BAA and regularly speaks about counteracting racism in all sports and agrees there is a long way to go before change happens naturally; progress is slow, and there’s significant work required to speed up and challenge bias, but projects like this and others help to raise awareness of issues that are faced by British Muslims today.
There’s little doubt that the South Asian community are an untapped resource of sporting talent that the Bradford Bulls Foundation and others could benefit from. However, it’s also essential for the South Asian community to feel welcome and included in the sporting environment – something becoming more of a reality as events such as Iftar become an annual feature at Odsal Stadium.
As Dr Butt says: “The challenge now is how we can keep this going and ensure it has a legacy. We must keep the momentum and ensure everyone is included in sport, regardless of faith or background.”
The Iftar was an incredibly positive event, and both Ian Stafford and Dr Butt have confirmed that this will be an annual feature at the club. Bradford Bulls have taken a giant stride towards inclusion with this step.
However, if we can do one thing to push inclusivity even further – we challenge the Bradford Bulls and all Rugby League clubs based in Yorkshire to take it one step further and actively seek South Asian players to join the foundation and work towards an academy place.
But for now, Bradford Bulls, all eyes are on you
