Nathan Earle: Rugby can do more to improve diversity

Harlequins wing Nathan Earle believes rugby can do more to improve diversity in the game.

Earle, 25, is preparing for the resumption of the Gallagher Premiership Rugby season on Friday when Quins host Sale Sharks.

The former Saracens player says rugby would benefit from finding more talent from deprived areas of society and he is a firm believer in what the Black Lives Matter movement is trying to achieve.

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“I connect with it massively, I went to one of the protests,” Earle told Sky Sports News.

“I thought it was incredibly powerful and especially now, it’s not as fresh in the mind all the stuff with George Floyd and Breoona Taylor.

“But now more than ever we need to keep the conversation going whether we do something in rugby or outside rugby.

“It’s about making sure people are still hearing that Black Lives Matter and that conversation is still going on so that people understand that there’s still social injustice, there’s still racial inequality within our society and systemic racism.

“As long as we keep the conversation going then hopefully that will change and hopefully in the future we won’t have to be saying that Black Lives Matter.

“I think it (rugby) can always do better. You look at the majority of players, they all come from private school backgrounds.

“I think we can definitely reach into lower socio-economic areas, get more people from those areas into rugby because that can only improve the game in England and then worldwide.

“If there are more people watching it and playing it then there is only scope for it to grow.”

Premiership Rugby returns after 159 days on Friday with all eyes on the Twickenham Stoop and Earle is hoping Harlequins will mark the occasion by showing their support for Black Lives Matter.

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