An Australian rugby team has confirmed that is will not change its name despite gaining unwanted connotations in recent weeks. Instead, the regional team will continue to play under the Isis Devils brand.
The club, which is located in the Isis district of Queensland, has come under some scrutiny following recent world events. However, the officials have openly vowed not to let connections to the terrorist group change their team.
Following the Paris attacks on November 13th, the name ISIS has dominated global news. While the rugby team has nothing to do with the Islamic State of Iraq and the Syria, their name has come under fire.
It doesn’t help that the name is twinned with the word devils, and this has fuelled fire to arguments for the name change. However, the club refuses to back down on the matter. Officials have called it an unfortunate name clash, but hope to see the heat die down over the coming months.
After those French attacks, the fundamentalist group continued to cause havoc across Europe. There were various terror alerts occurring across the continent during the aftermath. England, Germany, and Belgium were all targeted by ISIS. While the bulk of those plots were intercepted, those countries are still on high alert.
Meanwhile, the war continues to rage on with the world’s superpowers all getting involved. President Obama has urged Turkey to close the stretch that borders Syria. Meanwhile, Vladamir Putin has taken action following the shooting down of a Russian plane last week.
But whatever happens in Syria and the Middle East, none of this is the Australian rugby team’s fault. And that’s exactly why their officials refuse to bow down and change the name.
As well as being the name of their location, Isis is also the name of a Egyptian goddess. The symbol of health, marriage and wisdom isn’t only inspiration for place names. She is also the source of many girls names. Unfortunately, terrorist activity has caused issues here too.
Last month, a promotion from Nutella came under scrutiny as the hazelnut spread brand refused to print the name Isis on a personalised jar. They claimed that it could cause offence to others, meaning that the young girl in question had to miss out due to those unfortunate links.
It’s certainly a very sensitive subject. In fact, it has even led to some changing names by deed poll. However, the Queensland-based rugby club won’t be following suit by altering their brand. Meanwhile, the club has been joined by many other local businesses in refusing to drop the name.  This is a stance that the bulk of locals have supported as the area continues as usual.
The Isis Devils will now turn their attentions back to matters on the field. The Bundaberg Rugby League have both men’s and women’s teams, and will be looking to put this behind them by winning matches.
As for the terrorist organisation, we can only join the Devils in hoping their existence will soon come to an abrupt end.
