0
![Not allowed!](images/buttons/down_dis.png)
![Not allowed!](images/buttons/up_dis.png)
From BBC news website, Sat 19 Dec 09
Former Wales and Lions captain Gareth Thomas has broken one of the major taboos that surround sport by revealing he is gay.
The 35-year-old joins stars like basketball's John Amaechi and hurling's Donal Og Cusack who have come out.
"Just because you are gay, it doesn't mean you fancy every man who walks the planet," Thomas told the Daily Mail.
"I don't want to be known as a gay rugby player. I am a rugby player first and foremost. I am a man."
Cardiff Blues utility back Thomas said he had been through "all sorts of emotions" over the issue, since first knowing he was gay in his late teens.
He revealed that he was "anxious about people's reactions" to him being gay and that he felt he could not have come out earlier in his rugby career.
"It is the toughest, most macho of male sports, and with that comes an image," Thomas said.
"In many ways, it is barbaric, and I could never have come out without first establishing myself and earning respect as a player.
'Time is right'
"Rugby was my passion, my whole life, and I wasn't prepared to risk losing everything I loved."
Thomas went on to win 100 caps for Wales and three for the Lions, and has played for Bridgend and Cardiff and spent three years in France with Toulouse, before returning to south Wales in 2007.
He feels attitudes have changed and the time is right for sport to start accepting openly gay people in the same way other professions have in recent years.
"I just happen to be gay," he added. "It's irrelevant.
"What I choose to do when I close the door at home has nothing to do with what I have achieved in rugby.
"It's pretty tough for me being the only international rugby player prepared to break the taboo.
"Statistically I can't be the only one, but I'm not aware of any other gay player still in the game.
"I'd love for it, in 10 years' time, not to even be an issue in sport, and for people to say: 'So what?'"
... http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport2/hi/rugb...sh/8421956.stm
---------- Post added at 10:27 ---------- Previous post was at 10:23 ----------
And I for one am prepared to say: 'So what?' !
In the nicest possible way. As he says, it should be irrelevant.
However, in the current sporting climate it takes some cojones to be honest in this respect, so I'd also like to say - good on you!![]()
Last edited by Em-Forcer; 19-12-09 at 11:43.
Keeping the Faith ... right here in Perth!
We may have had a couple but I think they've left.![]()
"The main difference between playing League and Union is that now I get my hangovers on Monday instead of Sunday - Tom David
Shasta - I think you are mistaking nancy-boys for gay!
If I were Gareth Thomas, I would be suing you for bracketing him with our departing prima donnas.
'God invented beer to prevent Props from taking over the world'
shasta , I still have my doubts about of them!!!....
Posted via Mobile Device
Gareth Thomas was a hard assed thug, if he's the example for gay rugby players there's absolutely NO DOUBT about the sexual preference of our recently departed superstars.
C'mon the![]()
![]()
Ah! So that's what Jonathan Davies meant when he said that Gareth Thomas come inside of James Hook - I always thought he was saying that he ran next to him in a position where he could receive a pass! Silly me...![]()
Brother Gallagher I hear you
All kinda makes a bit of sense really, with a head that makes a pineapple look like Tom Cruise he is hardly going to have the fairer sex drapping all over him...
"Bloody oath we did!"
Nathan Sharpe, Legend.
Oddly enough Burgs most gay males are just soooo nice most women can't help but enjoy their company - always thought that was why most men are homophobes - so does he have a partner or something -
61 years between Grand SlamsWas the wait worth it - Ya betta baby
Enjoying their company and going the "next step" with a pineapple head are two different things
Apparently he hasn't had an affair with Tiger though...
"Bloody oath we did!"
Nathan Sharpe, Legend.
Couldn't care less about his sexual preferences but I will never forgive the thug for his part in the "Brennan" episode in Toulouse a couple of seasons ago, he played his part in ruining my weekend.
For a second there I thought he'd come out as a Tah supporter...thank god he's only gay.![]()
Just happy to be here
He's come out of the closet, can we have any vBookie odds on how long it will take for his book to hit the shelves?
Smoke me a kipper, I'll be back for breakfast.
Close the vbook
http://www.amazon.co.uk/Alfie-Gareth...1365871&sr=1-1
..although a re-write is still quite likely.
He use to live in my old home town in Wales and had a wife and at leat one boy.
His son was an "at leat" too was he?![]()
Discus s what he's good at...
"Bloody oath we did!"
Nathan Sharpe, Legend.