Nor has this country a figure such as David Pocock, who during a recent Super 15 match, was courageous enough to call out a fellow-player for making homophobic slurs. That player, Waratahs forward Jacques Potgieter, was fined A$20,000 by the Australian Rugby Union. He later visited Australia's only gay rugby club to apologise.
Kiwis representative and new Warriors signing Isaac Luke was likewise fined $10,000 for a homophobic slur on social media. He must also attend an education programme on tolerance and equality.
The decision to come down hard on such attitudes and language is part of a strategy that New Zealand sporting bodies must also consider. All four Australian football codes and Cricket Australia have agreed to introduce policies to end discrimination.
They have reacted strongly to a problem that only the naive would believe is not present here. Indeed, it occasionally bubbles to the surface, as when All Black Israel Dagg used the word "fag" in a tweet.
In the subsequent furore, Dagg apologised and indicated he had not meant to be offensive. That was surely so, but, once again, a deep-rooted culture of casual homophobia lay exposed.
Only if this is tackled will gay men and women be encouraged to participate in all sports at all levels.
