England midfielder Declan Rice has been recognised for his contribution to the fight against homophobia in football through his involvement in the innovative GayVAR campaign. The initiative, launched by telecommunications company EE as part of its Hope United programme, aimed to challenge anti-LGBTQ+ abuse online and encourage football supporters to call out discriminatory behaviour.
Rice, who has become one of England’s most influential players and helped the Three Lions reach the semi-finals of the 2026 World Cup, was among a number of high-profile football figures who lent their support to the campaign. The midfielder featured in content designed to highlight the damaging impact of homophobic abuse and demonstrate how supporters can respond when they encounter it on social media.
Inspired by football’s Video Assistant Referee system, ‘GayVAR’ was created to encourage fans to “review” and challenge homophobic comments online in the same way controversial incidents are scrutinised during matches. The campaign monitored social media activity around Premier League fixtures, identifying moments that often trigger spikes in online abuse, including poor performances, defeats and high-profile mistakes.
As part of the initiative, Rice appeared in a post-match analysis-style video in which he confronted abusive messages directed at footballers and discussed the wider impact of online hate. The campaign also featured former England star Joe Cole, comedian Tom Allen, Rio Ferdinand, Lucy Bronze and Andy Robertson, while working alongside the anti-discrimination organisation Football v Homophobia.
Research commissioned for the campaign revealed the scale of the problem. Nearly three-quarters of Britons surveyed believed homophobia remains an issue in football, while almost half said social media had made the problem worse. The findings underlined the need for greater allyship and more active intervention from supporters when discriminatory language is used online.
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