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Gay rugby kiss sparks controversy in Italy

A sports magazine sparks controversy in Italy by showing two male rugby players kissing.

A sports magazine has caused controversy in Italy by showing two male rugby players kissing on its cover.

The latest issue of SportWeek features the headline "Who's afraid of a kiss?".

The men are a real-life couple and play for Libera Rugby Club, the first gay-friendly rugby team in Italy. SportWeek has claimed that it is trying to confront the "last taboo" of homophobia in sport

Responses to the cover on social media have varied, with one Twitter user describing the magazine as "painfully conformist and ideological". However, another accused those against the cover as being 'fearful and ignorant'.

Sportweek's controversial gay rugby kiss cover (640-wide)

Italy is the only country in Western Europe that does not recognise same-sex relationships.

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