Lester’s Nick McCarthy out as gay and thanks club for their support | Lester | The Guardian

Contents:

• DISMANTLG STEREOTYP: 10 INSPIRG GAY RUGBY PLAYERS AND PERSONALI
• FORMER NEW ZEALAND GBY PLAYER CAMPBELL JOHNSTONE BE FIRST ALL BLACK TO E OUT AS GAY
• IS GBY AS GAY AS LOOKS? A CURUFC PLAYER’S PERSPECTIVE
• CAMPBELL JOHNSTONE OUT AS GAY, FORMER ALL BLACKS GBY PLAYER HAS GLOBAL REACH
• 10 GAY RUGBY PLAYERS WHO MA THEIR COME OUT
• BEN COHEN OPENS UP ABOUT BEG A GAY IN: IT'S EXCG TO BRIDGE THE GAP BETWEEN GAY AND STRAIGHT PEOPLE
• JAGS' MAXEN IS FIRST MALE AMERIN PRO SPORTS ACH TO E OUT AS GAY
• WAL GBY LEGEND GARETH THOMAS OUT AS GAY
• LESTER’S NICK MCCARTHY OUT AS GAY AND THANKS CLUB FOR THEIR SUPPORT
• 3 LANDG SPOTS FOR FORMER UTAH JAZZ PLAYER RUDY GAY
• DAN PALMER PRAISED AFTER BEG FIRST WALLABI PLAYER TO E OUT AS GAY

DISMANTLG STEREOTYP: 10 INSPIRG GAY RUGBY PLAYERS AND PERSONALI

In light of recent ntroversy regardg homophobic slurs by Israel Fol, we thought we would she a light on 10 fluential gay gby personali. The players have bee a bean of light bee they overme stereotyp and other challeng faced by homosexual athlet way too often.

FORMER NEW ZEALAND GBY PLAYER CAMPBELL JOHNSTONE BE FIRST ALL BLACK TO E OUT AS GAY

In this article, we’ll name ten of the most notable gay gby personali, analyze their acplishments, discs how they are shapg the game today, and asss their impact on the overall perceptn of homosexual profsnal athlet around the world. That beg said, due to s physily, gby is regard as a “manly” sport, which mak more difficult for gay players to publicly acknowledge their preference.

At the same time, there are many misnceptns about this betiful sport, which has led to the margalizatn and targetg of gay players.

IS GBY AS GAY AS LOOKS? A CURUFC PLAYER’S PERSPECTIVE

Some high-profile stars like Israel Fol have recently ma headl due to potentially homophobic posts on social media. This is one of the ma reasons why reprentativ of World Rugby met wh the lears of Internatnal Gay Rugby (IGR) to help eradite homophobia and tolerance om the game. Notable homosexual gby players and personali.

CAMPBELL JOHNSTONE OUT AS GAY, FORMER ALL BLACKS GBY PLAYER HAS GLOBAL REACH

Here’s a list of ten notable gay gby players and how they are shapg the game today.

The very first high-profile gby player to ever e out to the public as gay is former Atralian ternatnal Ian Roberts.

10 GAY RUGBY PLAYERS WHO MA THEIR COME OUT

Even though Ian Roberts may have been the first high-profile player to openly adm beg gay, Keegan Hirst was the first to ever do while still active. Currently a Wakefield Try prop, Hirst has bee one of the most notable gay athlet, earng himself a startg role after signg a ntract wh the League si 2016. Sam Stanley beme the first openly gay Rugby Unn and Sevens player the UK.

BEN COHEN OPENS UP ABOUT BEG A GAY IN: IT'S EXCG TO BRIDGE THE GAP BETWEEN GAY AND STRAIGHT PEOPLE

Although he never played gby at a profsnal level, Mark Bgham has bee an inic figure for gay gby players and sportspeople around the world. Known for his heroics durg the September 11 attacks, Bgham was a robt send-row man who played for the gay-clive San Francis Fog RFC. The Mark Kendall Bgham Memorial Tournament, simply known as the Bgham Cup, is a biennial gay gby unn tournament which was held for the first time 2002.

JAGS' MAXEN IS FIRST MALE AMERIN PRO SPORTS ACH TO E OUT AS GAY

Thomas publicly me out 2009 and has sce scribed his experience as a secretly gay player, revealg how the social prsure and stereotyp pose a signifint challenge for many athlet today.

WAL GBY LEGEND GARETH THOMAS OUT AS GAY

The Welshman is also a TV personaly and a voted activist for the LGBT e, wng “Gay Sports Personaly of the De” at the Stonewall awards ceremony London back 2015. Former New Zealand gby player Campbell Johnstone beme the first All Black to e out publicly as gay, an terview wh TVNZ’s Seven Sharp on Monday. “If I n be the first All Black that out as gay and take away the prsure and stigma surroundg the issue n actually help other people, ” Johnstone said.

Wh the issue of homophobia football htg the headl, one player reveals his experience as a gay man the world of gby. One stunt attribut the solidary among gby teams to his posive experienc as a gay gby playerOli Butler.

Rugby, taken out of s sportg ntext, is about as homoerotic as a platonic activy n get. I beme obssed wh gby at the same age I began to realise I was gay: 11.

LESTER’S NICK MCCARTHY OUT AS GAY AND THANKS CLUB FOR THEIR SUPPORT

I was very lucky to have this social pal to protect me when mours emerged that I was gay. (If you didn’t know, I’m gay and play gby #niche).

3 LANDG SPOTS FOR FORMER UTAH JAZZ PLAYER RUDY GAY

The only b of -game homophobia that has ever been directed at me me one of my first XV gam when the opposn hooker emerged om a scm and lled me a “f***g f*ggot”. It was this reactn which has epomised my relatnship wh homophobia: gby, your teammat have your back. My favoure recent one has been: “Do you watch gay porn?

DAN PALMER PRAISED AFTER BEG FIRST WALLABI PLAYER TO E OUT AS GAY

This nocent ignorance do filter through to what I would refer to as ‘lazy homophobia’. General “locker room banter”, to quote Mr Tmp, is omniprent – like llg someone gay for not enjoyg the fensive aspect of the game. Comments like this don’t make someone homophobic, but they do pat an image of an unwelg environment, which n make very timidatg to e out to people – particularly if those around you are olr (and bigger).