Jog the world's first gay gby team changed my life. So I ma a film about | Film | The Guardian

Contents:

• DISMANTLG STEREOTYP: 10 INSPIRG GAY RUGBY PLAYERS AND PERSONALI
• LIST | 5 GAY RUGBY STARS WHO ARE OUT AND PROUD
• 10 GAY RUGBY PLAYERS WHO MA THEIR COME OUT
• LIST | THE SPIRATNAL GBY UNN PLAYERS WHO’VE E OUT AS GAY
• FIRST OPENLY GAY GBY LEAGUE PLAYER KEEGAN HIRST OUT OF RETIREMENT
• DISMANTLG STEREOTYP: EIGHT INSPIRG GAY RUGBY PLAYERS AND PERSONALI
• FIRST OPENLY GAY GBY LEAGUE PLAYER HAILS 'OVERWHELMG' SUPPORT
• GAY GBY PLAYER WS FIVE-YEAR BATTLE AGAST PORTATN TO KENYA
• GAY GBY PLAYER ORRED TO LEAVE UK
• HOW AMAZON PRIME’S GAY GBY DOCUMENTARY STEELERS PLETELY FLIPS THE DISURSE OF MASTREAM LGBTQ+ STORI
• JOG THE WORLD'S FIRST GAY GBY TEAM CHANGED MY LIFE. SO I MA A FILM ABOUT
• 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. 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.

LIST | 5 GAY RUGBY STARS WHO ARE OUT AND PROUD

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.

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.

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.

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.

LIST | THE SPIRATNAL GBY UNN PLAYERS WHO’VE 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. 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. Rugby is one of the most loved sports the world and due to s physily, is regard as a “manly” sport, which mak more difficult for gay players to publicly acknowledge their preference.

Nigel Owens, one of the bt refere the world, is openly gay and has been vol about how the gby world has been hugely acmodatg.

It is the sport’s rponsibily to posively promote anti-homophobia, and anti-bullyg general, so that the majory of people who are acceptg have a lour voice than those who prott. In this article, we’ll look at 10 Gay Rugby Players and how they are shapg the game today. In the gby world, he tak cred as the very first high-profile player to ever e out to the public as gay.

FIRST OPENLY GAY GBY LEAGUE PLAYER KEEGAN HIRST OUT OF RETIREMENT

After his Saturday afternoon on the pch, is reported that Roberts would spend Saturday night on Oxford Street, Sydney’s gay quarter. His brave actn saw other gay gby players g out publicly to nfs their sexual orientatn. Followg the footsteps of Ian Roberts who may have been the first high-profile player to openly adm beg gay, Keegan Hirst was arguably the first ever to do while still actively playg gby.

Currently a Wakefield Try prop, Hirst has bee one of the most notable gay athlet, earng him a startg role after signg a ntract wh the League si 2016. In an terview wh the Sunday Mirror, the now divorced father of two and self-nfsed gay tells of the moment he fally found the words to expla to his wife the reason they uld no longer be together.

He fends himself by sayg, “Millns of people are the suatn, even people who have been Lrence’s (his partner) suatn and they are still married but are gay. He is one of the current crop of players who have e out openly to say that they are gay. As a young spired player he stated, “…this is pretty spirg for me as a fairly new player who happens to be gay, I had held off pursug gby bee of but the guys i play wh give no shs whatsoever and we have good banter about .

DISMANTLG STEREOTYP: EIGHT INSPIRG GAY RUGBY PLAYERS AND PERSONALI

A large athlete at 6 ft 4 (193 cm) and 225 pounds (102 kg), Bgham was a robt send-row man who played for the gay-clive San Francis Fog RFC and was a favore for his teammat the gby songs that he tght them. This also ma him bee an inic figure for gay gby players and sportspeople around the world. To honor him, The Mark Kendall Bgham Memorial Tournament, simply known as the Bgham Cup and was started 2002, is a biennial gay gby unn tournament is named after the former gby player.

Gareth ‘Alfie’ Thomas was a profsnal Welsh Rugby player who broke one of the biggt taboos the sport when he announced his homosexualy 2009. In 2010 he was voted the most fluential gay person the UK The Inpennt on Sunday Pk Listand received Stonewall’s Hero of the Year.

FIRST OPENLY GAY GBY LEAGUE PLAYER HAILS 'OVERWHELMG' SUPPORT

He scribed his experience as a secretly gay player, revealg how social prsure and stereotyp pose a signifint challenge for many athlet today.

He is a voted activist for the LGBT e, wng “Gay Sports Personaly of the De” at the Stonewall awards ceremony London back 2015. The 36-year-old Texas-born athlete has e a long way om the homophobia she wnsed firsthand high school. To mark their 20th anniversary as the UK's first gay gby team, the Kgs Cross Steelers stipped down and posed for a new book to be published by die 'ze Meat.

GAY GBY PLAYER WS FIVE-YEAR BATTLE AGAST PORTATN TO KENYA

All the players were photographed by Meat's founr, Adrian, who started Meat 2010, said that he was "tired of the body shamg that go on wh the gay muny.

The Steelers has not only helped pave the way for clive gby teams but also helped hanged perceptns about gay sportsmen. "Alex Smh, Chairman of the Kgs Cross Steelers said: "Dpe so much progrs over the last 20 years, n still be very difficult to be an out gay man, ma even more so by a lot of unhelpful noise around how to be, act or look wh the muny.

GAY GBY PLAYER ORRED TO LEAVE UK

"He add: "For two s, our club has helped hundreds of men - big, small, gay or straight - realize the great maxim about gby: that is a game for people of all shap and siz - tly a sport for everyone. Keegan Hirst, the first Brish gby league star to e out as gay, has reversed his retirement cisn wh the hope to play for the Batley Bulldogs for the rt of 2022.

“After the recent thly-veiled homophobia over a rabow shirt, I thought how n I help wh visibily and cln? Shortly after the 2007 Rugby World Cup, Owens was named ‘Gay Sports Personaly of the Year’ at gay rights group Stonewall’s awards ceremony London.

HOW AMAZON PRIME’S GAY GBY DOCUMENTARY STEELERS PLETELY FLIPS THE DISURSE OF MASTREAM LGBTQ+ STORI

In today’s world, LGBT has gaed acceptance of homosexualy, although rejectn still do prevail ral areas. Also, they are the on who have ma a notable announcement to openly lbian, gay, bisexual, pansexual, and transgenr sportspeople. However, the duo separated 2009, and later the 2012-13 season, Colls openly announced himself as gay.

JOG THE WORLD'S FIRST GAY GBY TEAM CHANGED MY LIFE. SO I MA A FILM ABOUT

But he was also qutned about his bravery as to how to be uld be gay and also a Christian. Not to mentn, Amaechi is also one of the world’s most high-profile gay athlet om the LGBTQ muny. Likewise, he is also a trampolist and, equally important, the first openly gay athlete to w an Olympic gold medal.

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

“I don’t see sexualy as fluencg my beliefs or opns or perceptns of anybody, whether they’re gay, straight, bi, trans, experimental, I don’t re. Movg on, the Los Angel Gay and Lbian Center award her the board of directors Award.