Quays News Andrew Riley went along to chat to the Lord Mayor and the chairman of the Canalsiders, Stan Sandland about the event and what it means for the city.

Manchester’s Lord Mayor, Councillor Carl Austin-Behan attended a rugby league match last week between the world’s first LGBT rugby league club, the Manchester Canalsiders and a combined Lancashire and GMP team to help promote an anti-hate crime awareness week in the city.

The Canalsiders eventually lost out to the Police, 58-26, but the main aim of the game was to raise awareness of the anti-hate crime week that the police were supporting across all communities.

“It’s important we get people supporting initiatives like this” the Lord Mayor told Quays News.

Chatting with Andrew Riley was Canalsiders chairman Stan Sandland and the Lord Mayor of Manchester, Carl Austin-Behan, Manchester’s first openly gay Lord Mayor