Murray sits out Sunday for Scots ... because of God

[klr]

http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport2/hi/rugby_u ... 414610.stm

Murray sits out Sunday for Scots

Scotland prop Euan Murray will miss the Six Nations opener against France on 7 February after requesting not to be chosen for matches played on Sundays.

The 29-year-old Northampton star is a devout Christian but he has played on Sundays before.

He faced France when Scotland opened the 2008 Six Nations on a Sunday.

Scottish Rugby Union chief executive Gordon McKie said: "We have been talking with Euan for some time now and fully respect his wishes."

Murray has suffered from several injury setbacks in recent seasons, including a broken shin bone and ankle ligament problems that cut short his British & Irish Lions involvement this year.

He returned a month ahead of schedule to help Northampton to a 15-13 win over Bath on 5 December.

However, Murray, who is reluctant to discuss his choice, will also miss any club games that fall on Sundays.

Murray's stance has been accepted by Scotland coach Andy Robinson, who said: "I've met with Euan throughout the summer and we talked about his beliefs and the fact that he wasn't going to be available for Sunday rugby.

"I totally understand his beliefs and respect them and we'll support him through this.

"It's about being part of a team. The make-up of any team is about having individual characters and different characters and you respect the decisions that the players have to make."

Former Scotland winger Kenny Logan is an ex-team-mate of Murray's and is also respectful of the prop's change of heart.

"It's his decision and we have to go with it," Logan told BBC Scotland.

"I played at Glasgow with Euan. He's a born-again, he's very happy, he's struggled with injuries and he wanted to change his life. He's done that.

"At Northampton he won't play on a Sunday. He's been up front with them and the club can rotate and know when to play him."

Former New Zealand flanker Michael Jones refused to play on Sundays due to his religious beliefs.

And Murray's decision is sure to draw parallels with Eric Liddell, the first Scot to win an Olympic gold medal.

Liddell, who played seven rugby internationals for Scotland, was a committed Christian and refused to run in the heats of the 100m at the Paris Olympics in 1924 because they were run on a Sunday.

He had been red hot favourite to win the event but did succeed with an unexpected 400m triumph after collecting bronze in the 200m.

Scotland begin next year's Six Nations campaign at home to France and also welcome England to Murrayfield.

[Pappa]

http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport2/hi/rugby_u ... 414610.stm

Murray sits out Sunday for Scots

Scotland prop Euan Murray will miss the Six Nations opener against France on 7 February after requesting not to be chosen for matches played on Sundays.

The 29-year-old Northampton star is a devout Christian but he has played on Sundays before.

He faced France when Scotland opened the 2008 Six Nations on a Sunday.

Scottish Rugby Union chief executive Gordon McKie said: "We have been talking with Euan for some time now and fully respect his wishes."

Murray has suffered from several injury setbacks in recent seasons, including a broken shin bone and ankle ligament problems that cut short his British & Irish Lions involvement this year.

He returned a month ahead of schedule to help Northampton to a 15-13 win over Bath on 5 December.

However, Murray, who is reluctant to discuss his choice, will also miss any club games that fall on Sundays.

Murray's stance has been accepted by Scotland coach Andy Robinson, who said: "I've met with Euan throughout the summer and we talked about his beliefs and the fact that he wasn't going to be available for Sunday rugby.

"I totally understand his beliefs and respect them and we'll support him through this.

"It's about being part of a team. The make-up of any team is about having individual characters and different characters and you respect the decisions that the players have to make."

Former Scotland winger Kenny Logan is an ex-team-mate of Murray's and is also respectful of the prop's change of heart.

"It's his decision and we have to go with it," Logan told BBC Scotland.

"I played at Glasgow with Euan. He's a born-again, he's very happy, he's struggled with injuries and he wanted to change his life. He's done that.

"At Northampton he won't play on a Sunday. He's been up front with them and the club can rotate and know when to play him."

Former New Zealand flanker Michael Jones refused to play on Sundays due to his religious beliefs.

And Murray's decision is sure to draw parallels with Eric Liddell, the first Scot to win an Olympic gold medal.

Liddell, who played seven rugby internationals for Scotland, was a committed Christian and refused to run in the heats of the 100m at the Paris Olympics in 1924 because they were run on a Sunday.

He had been red hot favourite to win the event but did succeed with an unexpected 400m triumph after collecting bronze in the 200m.

Scotland begin next year's Six Nations campaign at home to France and also welcome England to Murrayfield.

I'd drop him for good.

[leo-rcc]

That's that other hand-egg game right?

[klr]

http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport2/hi/rugby_u ... 414610.stm

...
I'd drop him for good.

Ditto. If he's that much of a God-boy, he shouldn't have a problem.

I'm not sure if he has a central contract with the SRU, but he sure as hell has one with his club. Will he take a pay cut for voluntarily opting out of games?

IMHO, he's no more entitled to get a free pass on this one than a grocery clerk who doesn't want to serve some product or other because of their religious beliefs.

That's that other hand-egg game right?

It's the serious oval ball game, yes.

[devogue]

IMHO, he's no more entitled to get a free pass on this one than a grocery clerk who doesn't want to serve some product or other because of their religious beliefs.

In the UK such a grocery clerk is protected by law.

http://www.businesslink.gov.uk/bdotg/ac ... 1073792308

[Pappa]

IMHO, he's no more entitled to get a free pass on this one than a grocery clerk who doesn't want to serve some product or other because of their religious beliefs.

In the UK such a grocery clerk is protected by law.

http://www.businesslink.gov.uk/bdotg/ac ... 1073792308

That link is not appropriate to your point Dev.

[klr]

IMHO, he's no more entitled to get a free pass on this one than a grocery clerk who doesn't want to serve some product or other because of their religious beliefs.

In the UK such a grocery clerk is protected by law.

http://www.businesslink.gov.uk/bdotg/ac ... 1073792308

In the case of the specific working-on-Sunday issue: Yes. But this is different. Murray is a professional sportsperson, and as such, he should know full well that he will often be called upon to work on a Sunday as a matter of course. If he has a religious objection to doing that, then (as I pointed out), he has no more grounds for complaint than a sales clerk who refuses to handle run-of-the-mill products because of their religious beliefs.

In short: If he doesn't like working on Sundays, he's in the wrong business. The same would apply to most other professional sportspeople, and to the far greater numbers of workers who support the running of sporting events.

[devogue]

IMHO, he's no more entitled to get a free pass on this one than a grocery clerk who doesn't want to serve some product or other because of their religious beliefs.

In the UK such a grocery clerk is protected by law.

http://www.businesslink.gov.uk/bdotg/ac ... 1073792308

That link is not appropriate to your point Dev.

Shop and betting workers in Great Britain and Northern Ireland have the right to refuse to work on Sundays, and are protected against dismissal, selection for redundancy or other detrimental treatment, eg refusal of promotion or training. The rules covering Sunday working apply only to employees and not other workers.

[Pappa]

IMHO, he's no more entitled to get a free pass on this one than a grocery clerk who doesn't want to serve some product or other because of their religious beliefs.

In the UK such a grocery clerk is protected by law.

http://www.businesslink.gov.uk/bdotg/ac ... 1073792308

That link is not appropriate to your point Dev.

Shop and betting workers in Great Britain and Northern Ireland have the right to refuse to work on Sundays, and are protected against dismissal, selection for redundancy or other detrimental treatment, eg refusal of promotion or training. The rules covering Sunday working apply only to employees and not other workers.

klr was referring to refusal to sell products, not refusing to work on Sunday.

[devogue]

IMHO, he's no more entitled to get a free pass on this one than a grocery clerk who doesn't want to serve some product or other because of their religious beliefs.

In the UK such a grocery clerk is protected by law.

http://www.businesslink.gov.uk/bdotg/ac ... 1073792308

That link is not appropriate to your point Dev.

Shop and betting workers in Great Britain and Northern Ireland have the right to refuse to work on Sundays, and are protected against dismissal, selection for redundancy or other detrimental treatment, eg refusal of promotion or training. The rules covering Sunday working apply only to employees and not other workers.

klr was referring to refusal to sell products, not refusing to work on Sunday.

[Drewish]

If he's worked out some kind of deal or has been up front about this then I don't really have a problem with it. So long as he doesn't have the right to sue if they turned him down for demanding such things after signing the contract. But if everyone involved is okay with the situation, then what's the issue? This is such a beneign comlaint against religion that I can't bother to get worked up over it.

[Pappa]

I noticed the dates too.. the worker is only protected if they worked for the company since 1997 or 2004 (for shop or betting respectively). That's since the legistation came in presumably? So they're only protected if they were working there before sunday trading was relaxed in the 90s. (Dunno what happened in 2004).

[klr]

Guess who just can't keep his beliefs to himself?

http://www.rbs6nations.com/en/15900.php

Murray calls for Sunday ban

Recalled Scotland prop Euan Murray insists it's about time rugby chiefs called a halt to playing games on a Sunday.

The 29-year-old returns to the Scotland team for the visit to Wales this weekend after taking the decision to no longer play on the Sabbath and therefore missing the RBS 6 Nations opener against France last week.

Murray admits it was a difficult decision to sit out the match with Les Bleus but insists it’s not a choice he should have had to make.

“I hope things will change in future,” said Murray. “I don’t see why there have to be games on Sundays.

“The decision was made quite a while ago, probably over a year ago and it’s just come to light now.

“It took me about three years after I became a Christian, but I’m happy with my decision and I had a good Sunday, a good ‘Lord’s Day’.

“I don’t know how many of my team-mates agree necessarily with the decision, but they’re supportive and they know that’s what drives me as a player and as a man.”

So now he expects everyone else to conform to his beliefs ...

[Xamonas Chegwé]

Though shalt not play rugby on the sabbath? Where does it say that in the babble? Let's look...

Though shalt not pass the lord thy ball forwards.
Though shalt not gouge thy neighbours eye, his groin, his ears, or anything that is thy neighbours.
Honour thy referee and thy line-judges that your days may be long in the game.
Thou shalt not kick for touch in vain.
What happeneth in thy scrum shalt stay in thy scrum...

Nothing about not playing games on a Sunday there.

Besides, Scotland would have lost in any case - the frogs were the much better team.

[klr]

Though shalt not play rugby on the sabbath? Where does it say that in the babble? Let's look...

Though shalt not pass the lord thy ball forwards.
Though shalt not gouge thy neighbours eye, his groin, his ears, or anything that is thy neighbours.
Honour thy referee and thy line-judges that your days may be long in the game.
Thou shalt not kick for touch in vain.
What happeneth in thy scrum shalt stay in thy scrum...

Nothing about not playing games on a Sunday there.

Besides, Scotland would have lost in any case - the frogs were the much better team.

There's something in the Life of Brian about not taking things literally.



Seriously though: He's a professional, so this is work. In which case he had to know from the outset that as a professional sports person, there will always be a number of times a year his team will be called upon to play on a Sunday. He ought to find another line of work, and stop whining ...