Rugby players who are gay

Rugby union football, commonly known simply as rugby union in English-speaking countries and rugby 15/XV in non- Anglophone Europe, or often just rugby, is a close-contact team sport that originated at Rugby School in England in the first half of the 19th century. rugby, football game played with an oval ball by two teams of 15 players (in rugby union play) or 13 players (in rugby league play). Both rugby union and rugby league have their origins in the style of football played at Rugby School in England.

There are two primary forms of rugby union: rugby fifteens and rugby sevens. Touch rugby, beach rugby, rugby tens and rugby twelves are also iterations of the sport often used as a development pathway and feeder into the main forms. The official site of World Rugby the governing body of Rugby Union with news, tournaments, fixtures, results, world rugby rankings, statistics, video, the Laws of the game, governance and contacts.

Get all the latest UK & Ireland Rugby news, videos & analysis, live scores, stats, fixtures and results, and much more on the Premiership, United Rugby Championship, Heineken Cup and Six Nations. In light of recent controversy regarding homophobic slurs by Israel Folau, we thought we would shine a light on 10 influential gay rugby personalities. There are many great professional rugby players and personalities.

These players have become a beacon of light because they overcame stereotypes and other challenges faced by homosexual athletes way too often. Encouraging diversity and inclusion in rugby. Rugby revolves around fair play, discipline, and most of, all equality. At the same time, there are many misconceptions about this beautiful sport, which has led to the marginalization and targeting of gay players.

Some high-profile stars like Israel Folau have recently made headlines due to potentially homophobic posts on social media.

lgbt rugby players female

However, many industry professionals have united to condemn these remarks, embodying the true spirit of rugby. This is one of the main reasons why representatives of World Rugby met with the leaders of International Gay Rugby IGR to help eradicate homophobia and intolerance from the game. Both IGR and World Rugby signed an agreement in in order to work together and promote an inclusive mantra in the sport.

Notable homosexual rugby players and personalities. While World Rugby is taking a firm stance on inclusion and diversity, there are many personalities who have been paving the way for this inspiring movement. The very first high-profile rugby player to ever come out to the public as gay is former Australian international Ian Roberts. Roberts publicly acknowledged his sexual orientation in and has since been named to the South Sydney Dream Team as well as one of the top 25 greatest New South Wales players.

Finally, he was awarded the Australian Sports Medal for his contribution to the development of rugby league. Even though Ian Roberts may have been the first high-profile player to openly admit being gay, Keegan Hirst was the first to ever do it while still active. Currently a Wakefield Trinity prop, Hirst has become one of the most notable gay athletes, earning himself a starting role after signing a contract with the League side in The former Saracens full-back also played with England in the World Rugby Sevens Series from to but has been sidelined from the sport due to a recurring injury.

While most of the athletes on this list have earned a name on the pitch, Louisa Wall has become a prominent politician in New Zealand after completing a successful rugby career. The former Black Fern and Silver Fern was the driving force behind the legalization of same-sex marriage in New Zealand, claiming that the passing of the bill felt like winning the Rugby World Cup. Jillion Potter.

Phaidra Knight. Phaidra Knight, a former USA flanker, was inducted to the Rugby Hall of Fame last year and is consistently regarded as one of the best female forwards to ever step on the pitch. Although he never played rugby at a professional level, Mark Bingham has become an iconic figure for gay rugby players and sportspeople around the world.

The Mark Kendall Bingham Memorial Tournament, simply known as the Bingham Cup, is a biennial gay rugby union tournament which was held for the first time in Named after the former rugby player, the Bingham Cup has become a symbolic event that has been hosted in multiple cities around the globe. Gareth Thomas is one of the greatest rugby players in the history of the UK, captaining the Welsh international side as well as the British and Irish Lions during his career.

Thomas publicly came out in and has since described his experience as a secretly gay player, revealing how the social pressure and stereotypes pose a significant challenge for many athletes today. All fans, players, and anyone who knows anything about rugby will know the name, Nigel Owens. Besides having the record for most test matches refereed, Owens has earned a reputation as one of the top rugby referees around the world.

Great to hear Andy! Shame some elite rugby players are still saying anti-gay things on social media. Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment.