Subscribe to Breaking NewsWithers: Rugby player comes out
My knowledge of rugby is reduced to two facts. There is a gay team in New York City and Clint Eastwood’s new film chronicles how Nelson Mandela used the sport to bring his country together (anyone see it). I never heard of Gareth Thomas and will ever be a fan of the sport, but it’s an honor to read about the guy
Thomas is by all accounts a beast of a rugby player. In 2005 he was the captain of the Wales team for its first Grand Slam victory and has one 100 caps, more than any player in Welsh history (don’t know what caps are but that sounds impressive). Despite his success on the pitch he was miserable off because he was gay and hiding in the shadows.
“I was like a ticking bomb. I thought I could suppress it, keep it locked away in some dark corner of myself, but I couldn’t.”
Alas Thomas’ story has a predictable turn for anyone who has spent time in the closet. Lots of energy spent keeping up a public face, marriage (he describes his former wife as his “rock”), but Thomas couldn’t keep the facade up. In the summer of 2006, he told his wife, the marriage ended, and he came out to his team (in an interesting twist it was one of his coaches who knew what Thomas’ problem was).
Unlike here in the United States when former professional male athletes came out after their career was over, Thomas is still playing. But he doesn’t want to be known as only as a gay rugby player.
‘I just happen to be gay. 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.”
Yet he hopes no other youngster, rugby player or not, spends years twisting in knots.
“It’s been really tough for me, hiding who I really am, and I don’t want it to be like that for the next young person who wants to play rugby, or some frightened young kid.”
Hard to argue with that. A holiday cheer for Mr. Thomas.
Hey Withers, A cap just means a played game or call up to the roster. So, he was called up (and I’m assuming played) to his National Team 100 times. That is impressive as only the best players from that country play international games. Sounds like he’s one of the Welsh players to play Rugby.
You forgot to mention that that rugby player is drop dead sexy. A bohemoth, viking /anglo saxon warrior coming to steal my treasure, and I’d let him.( Sorry, got caught up in my own fantasy)
Calm down now. This is a family site!
James
This is old news…I knew about this last week on Advocate.
Why has no one on this site done a story about Matt Bomer being dragged, kicking and screaming, out of the closet?
Rugby is not a common sport in North America, It usually gets seen as a strange variant of North American footbal. this is not a big suprise but Rugger is fundamentally different in very many ways.
Rugby players are a rough and tumble non-conformist lot who for the most part are self-confident and fairly open minded. They have chosen to play a game that gets them little glory, no world cup, no NFL, no NBA, no NHL. They are playing outside the box. This game is largely ignored, as are the players.
They are playing their favourite game out of love. It would be a mistake to say that ALL of them understand and respect that a guy(or grrl) has to be honest to themselves and follow where that leads them but I believe that a great many rugby folk do understand this important point.
On or off the field, if you try to slam down their teammate, they will close ranks and slam you back twice as hard.
I wish all team sports could be like that.
Go Gareth Thomas, it must have been the hardest thing………
We have all got your back…………
What, no editing of your articles? Your punctuation and spelling are very annoying. The word ‘one’ when you mean ‘won’, no punctuation where it’s needed, etc. What a mess you make of language sometimes! Sheesh!