PREMIERSHIP teams will show their support for the Black Lives Matter movement with a slew of actions when rugby union returns this weekend, it was revealed yesterday.

Premiership Rugby has announced that time will be given before each match to honour equality under the banner of Rugby Against Racism.

Harlequins, who host the first match of the restart against Sale tomorrow night, will take a knee while the Sharks squad will be wearing Rugby Against Racism T-shirts.

Other teams plans to stand in formation to send a message, including Bristol Bears before they kick-off against Saracens and Gloucester and Worcester players before their game on Saturday.

A working group of black players from across the league, along with former Premiership players Ugo Monye and James Bailey, said: “Together, we the players stand united in the fight against racism, and we are proud to support the positive message that Black Lives Matter.”

While saying they were not endorsing any particular political ideology, they said they were “uniting as players to combat racial discrimination, in our sport and in society.”

The Rugby Players Association added: “How each of our members choose to act in relation to this moment is a matter of their personal choice. We respect and defend their individual right to make that decision.”

Wakefield players came under fire for opting not to take a knee before their Super League match with Wigan kicked off on Sunday.

And Exeter’s director of rugby Rob Baxter raised eyebrows yesterday, saying he was “a little surprised” by Premiership Rugby’s stance as it was “potentially hanging some players out to dry.”

“I don’t mind telling you, I’m a little surprised that Premiership Rugby went this way because I feel by just dropping it on the clubs and saying, ‘There you go, do what you like,’ it’s potentially hanging some players out to dry,” Baxter claimed.

“I don’t really know how much positive press a player can get from it if they have a differing of opinion, which is something which we should all embrace. The players have decided what they want to do and I’m going to leave them to do that on the weekend. They want to stand together as rugby against racism, 100 per cent.

“We’re going to support them in whatever they choose to do. Now, whether that means they will all do one thing or they will do different things, we will support them 100 per cent.”

Asked how long such shows of support should continue, Baxter added: “There’s a time and a place for every kind of marking of everything. At what stage do you stop marking something, or bringing awareness of something?

“This might be the wrong way of looking at it but at the end of the day we mark Armistice Day for one minute on one day of the year and that was a pretty big thing. If we’re going get to some balance in all of this, let’s remember we’re a sport, we’re here to entertain people, let’s get back to being a sport and not trying to be some kind of a political tool. That would be my comment on it.

“If we get guidance that the Premiership Rugby group are doing two rounds, three rounds or whatever, I’m sure we would respect that.”