Story highlights New report into homophobia in UK sportRugby highlighted as a positive exampleGay referee: "Still some issues"London (CNN) English rugby has been praised for clamping down on homophobia in the sport, though a leading gay referee warns there is still work to be done in eradicating the problem. A British government select committee released a report Sunday investigating the prevalence of homophobia in UK sport and how the ruling bodies were dealing with it. It said soccer clubs "in particular are not doing enough and should take a tougher approach" and compared them unfavorably to the stance of the English Rugby Union (RFU). In November 2014, two rugby fans were banned for two years and each ordered to pay £1,000 ($1,250) to a charity of gay referee Nigel Owens' choice after the Welshman was verbally abused while officiating an international match between England and Wales at Twickenham. "I don't think rugby can take the moral high ground ... but it does better address those issues than a lot of other sports do," Owens told the Culture, Media and Sport Committee in his testimony.

Source: CNN February 12, 2017 00:32 UTC