Religious rugby league player says he'd happily wear a rainbow pride jersey

Cronulla Sharks winger Ronaldo Mulitalo says he'd be more than happy to wear a pride jersey, despite being devoutly religious.

Seven Manly Sea Eagles players made headlines around the world last month after they refused to wear their club's rainbow 'Everyone in League' strip.

The group even threatened to boycott their game if they were forced to don the shirt and were ultimately stood down on religious ground.

The entire ordeal left many split with some people taking aim at the players while others heavily criticised the club for failing to consult with the group.

A number of NRL players have had their say on the matter, including Mulitalo who admits he'd have no issued with wearing an LGBTQIA+ jersey, despite his own devout faith.

"We spoke about it briefly here, but I wouldn't mind [wearing it] myself," he told Nine's Wide World of Sports.

"I love my charity work, I love being for the people.

"A couple of my mates are gay and part of that community and I support and love them just as much. I'll stand up and stand tall for them."

Mulitalo's Sharks teammate Toby Rudolf was another big-name star who decided to speak out during Manly's jersey saga.

The Cronulla fan favourite was quick to throw his support behind the LGBTQIA+ community and even opened up about his own fluid sexuality.

"Love is love at the end of the day," Mulitalo said.

"We've obviously got Toby here and I can't really go against him, he's one of my best mates and I really want to rally around him as well.

"For anyone out there that's still trying to find out who they are, just know that there's people out there like us that support and love you."

He added: "I'm not scared, I'm my own person - I like to speak out loudly, so what I feel is what I feel. Not everyone's going to agree with it and that's alright, I'm fine with that."

Supplied/NRL

Clearly very talented on the field, Mulitalo's actions off it has seen him quickly emerge as one of the most loveable characters in rugby league.

At 22 years old, he's also continuing to use his platform to raise awareness for mental health.

"I'm religious, but I'm not one to judge," he added.

"We speak about mental health – I'm serious about it. Those people are doing it tough. I want to make sure that they know that there's people standing with them."

Topics: Australia, NRL, Rugby League, Cronulla Sharks

Max Sherry

Max Sherry is a journalist for SPORTbible Australia. After migrating Down Under from London as a teenager, he instantly fell in love with Aussie sport and its culture. From NRL to AFL, cricket to rugby — you name it, Max watches it (with a beer in hand, of course). During his time at Fox Sports, he worked in the football department covering the Premier League, A-League, Socceroos and Matildas. Born a stone's throw away from West Ham's training ground, Max is obviously a die-hard Liverpool fan.

@maxysherry