Nigel Owens: Rugby referee on retirement and beg gay sport

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WHO IS GBY REF NIGEL OWENS? WELSHMAN BRAVELY ME OUT AS GAY, FOUGHT BULIMIA AND OVERME SUICI

Welsh former gby ternatnal referee Nigel Owens has shared the homophobic abe he received a "hate" filled letter on social 51-year-old posted a picture of the letter sayg "unls we start llg out the kd of people nothg will change. "Nigel Owens now ns a farm the Gwendraeth 'me out' as gay 2007 and went on to bee the first referee to reach a landmark 100 ternatnal tts 's now livg a lifelong dream of beg a farmer and workg as a TV letter sparked an outpourg of support for Owens om people on social mediaOne social media er lled the letter "pathetic and absurd" while dozens exprsed their "love" for the gby legend. When gby referee Nigel Owens me out as gay 2007, he said was “a big taboo” to be LGBT+ his le of work.

Welsh gby player Gareth Thomas later me out as gay, and other players have opened up about their inti too. Did you enunter much homophobia after g out as gay? But on the odd ocsn – on the very, very odd ocsn that there were homophobic ments shouted at me om the spectators – was heard by other people and was reported to the relevant bodi and they managed to al wh the suatn.

RUGBY’S TRAILBLAZG GAY REFEREE NIGEL OWENS REVEALS SUICI ATTEMPT AT AGE 11 DUE TO BULLYG — YEARS BEFORE TRYG TO KILL HIMSELF A BATTLE WH SEXUALY

Rugby has allowed to be who we are, so nobody uld say that gby is a homophobic sport.

In 2007, the Mynyddcerrig-native shocked the sports world by g out as gay. 6 In 2007 Owens shocked the sports world by g out as gayCred: SWNS:South Wt News Service. It's such a big taboo to be gay my le of work, I had to thk very hard about bee I didn't want to jeopardise my reer.

TOP ENGLISH GBY REFEREE OUT AS GAY AND REVEALS THE SPIRATN HE DREW OM NIGEL OWENSCRAIG MAXWELL-KEYS IS ONE OF THE LEADG OFFICIALS THE GALLAGHER PREMIERSHIPWALONLEBOOKMARKSHARECOMMENTSSPORTBYANTHONY WOOLFORD16:21, 5 DEC 2019BOOKMARKENGLISH REFEREE CRAIG MAXWELL-KEYS (IMAGE: DAVID ROGERS/GETTY IMAG) GET THE LATT WELSH RUGBY NEWS ANALYSIS AND TERVIEWSMORE NEWSLETTERS SUBSCRIBEINVALID EMAILSOMETHG WENT WRONG, PLEASE TRY AGA LATER.MORE NEWSLETTERSWE E YOUR SIGN-UP TO PROVI NTENT WAYS YOU’VE NSENTED TO AND IMPROVE OUR UNRSTANDG OF YOU. THIS MAY CLU ADVERTS OM AND THIRD PARTI BASED ON OUR KNOWLEDGE OF YOU. MORE THANK YOU FOR SUBSCRIBG!WE HAVE MORE NEWSLETTERSSHOW ME SEE OURPRIVACY NOTICE SEE OURPRIVACY NOTICE&TIM;GROUP 28 GET THE LATT WELSH RUGBY NEWS ANALYSIS AND TERVIEWSINVALID EMAILSOMETHG WENT WRONG, PLEASE TRY AGA LATER.SIGN UPNO THANKS, CLOSEWE E YOUR SIGN-UP TO PROVI NTENT WAYS YOU’VE NSENTED TO AND IMPROVE OUR UNRSTANDG OF YOU. THIS MAY CLU ADVERTS OM AND THIRD PARTI BASED ON OUR KNOWLEDGE OF YOU. MORE &TIM;GROUP 28THANK YOU FOR SUBSCRIBG!

A GAY REF IN A MACHO SPORT.

"It's such a big taboo to be gay my le of work, I had to thk very hard about bee I didn't want to jeopardise my reer, " he nfsed. "When I beme a referee, beme clear that there was nobody the sport who was gay. "Although that’s not to say that the sport is openly homophobic.

Owens knew he was gay his late teens. Welsh gby referee Nigel Owens has vised Bournemouth Universy (BU) to talk about his experienc as a gay man gby, as well as the challeng he faced by keepg his sexualy secret. The Welshman and world rerd holr for most gby tt match refereed, me out as gay 2007, and is the most pped referee the Rugby Football Unn (RFU).

*BEAR-MAGAZINE.COM* WELSH RUGBY REFEREE GAY

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class="fHh0w"><li class="Jp5fE"><div class="aqX0o"></div><div data-ttid="tag" class="_6DWPQ xp9pO"><a class="HPL4j" data-ttid="tag-lk" href="/news/wal"><span data-ttid="tag-text">Wal</span></a></div></li><li class="Jp5fE"><div class="aqX0o"></div><div data-ttid="tag" class="_6DWPQ xp9pO"><a class="HPL4j" data-ttid="tag-lk" href="/news/sport"><span data-ttid="tag-text">Sport</span></a></div></li><li class="Jp5fE"><div class="aqX0o"></div><div data-ttid="tag" class="_6DWPQ xp9pO"><a class="HPL4j" data-ttid="tag-lk" href="/news/topic/homophobia"><span data-ttid="tag-text">Homophobia</span></a></div></li><li class="Jp5fE"><div class="aqX0o"></div><div data-ttid="tag" class="_6DWPQ xp9pO"><a class="HPL4j" data-ttid="tag-lk" href="/news/topic/gby"><span data-ttid="tag-text">gby</span></a></div></li><li class="Jp5fE"><div class="aqX0o"></div><div class="YEmI-" data-ttid="date-time-"><i class="cp_in cp_in__clock cp_in--base u46pe" aria-hidn="te"><svg width="48px" height="48px" viewBox="0 0 48 48" versn="1.1" xmlns=" xmlns:xlk=" role="img"> <g transform="translate(-304.000000, -1456.000000)"> <g transform="translate(300.000000, 1452.000000)"> <path fill="#7B8386" fill-le="evenodd" d="M27.9766667,4.66666667 C15.0966667,4.66666667 4.66666667,15.12 4.66666667,28 C4.66666667,40.88 15.0966667,51.3333333 27.9766667,51.3333333 C40.88,51.3333333 51.3333333,40.88 51.3333333,28 C51.3333333,15.12 40.88,4.66666667 27.9766667,4.66666667 Z M28,46.6666667 C17.6866667,46.6666667 9.33333333,38.3133333 9.33333333,28 C9.33333333,17.6866667 17.6866667,9.33333333 28,9.33333333 C38.3133333,9.33333333 46.6666667,17.6866667 46.6666667,28 C46.6666667,38.3133333 38.3133333,46.6666667 28,46.6666667 Z M29.1666667,16.3333333 L25.6666667,16.3333333 L25.6666667,30.3333333 L37.9166667,37.6833333 L39.6666667,34.8133333 L29.1666667,28.5833333 L29.1666667,16.3333333 Z" /> </g> </g></svg></i><time class="iCsJz _0Z4Oc" dateTime="2022-11-23T12:12:37Z" data-ttid="date-time">Wednday 23 November 2022 at 12:12pm</time></div></li></ul></div><figure class="ZN3xR"><picture class="cp_picture"><source type="image/avif" srcSet=" media="(m-width: 1280px)"/><source type="image/avif" srcSet=" media="(m-width: 1024px)"/><source type="image/avif" srcSet=" media="(m-width: 768px)"/><source type="image/avif" srcSet="><source type="image/webp" srcSet=" media="(m-width: 1280px)"/><source type="image/webp" srcSet=" media="(m-width: 1024px)"/><source type="image/webp" srcSet=" media="(m-width: 768px)"/><source type="image/webp" srcSet="><source type="image/eg" srcSet=" media="(m-width: 1280px)"/><source type="image/eg" srcSet=" media="(m-width: 1024px)"/><source type="image/eg" srcSet=" media="(m-width: 768px)"/><source type="image/eg" srcSet="><img alt="221122 Nigel Owens" class="cp_picture__img" src="></picture></figure></hear><div class="_074l4 cp_grid__em" data-ttid="article-body"><p class="A8Lwr BVYCX">Welsh former gby ternatnal referee Nigel Owens has shared the homophobic abe he received a "hate" filled letter on social media.</p><p class="A8Lwr BVYCX">The 51-year-old posted a picture of the letter sayg "unls we start llg out the kd of people nothg will change."</p><p class="A8Lwr BVYCX">Owens said he received the letter the post "a few weeks ago" and that he had "thought long and hard" about whether he should share or not.</p><p class="A8Lwr BVYCX">Dyfed Powys Police are vtigatg the matter and said "enquiri are ongog."</p><asi class="cp_grid n1Jiz" data-ttid="le-tile-list-ntaer"><article data-ttid="tile-unfed" class="_9ngZG cp_grid__em cp_width--one-half V42pZ"><div class="fckaL" data-ttid="tile-image-ntaer"><div class="cp_placeholr"></div></div><div data-ttid="tile-headg-ntaer" class="mhohf"><a class="E2VG5" data-ttid="tile-headg-lk" href="/news/wal/2020-12-11/welsh-referee-nigel-owens-to-retire-om-ternatnal-gby"><h2 class="cp_headg FBRAm">Welsh referee Nigel Owens to retire om ternatnal gby</h2></a></div></article><article data-ttid="tile-unfed" class="_9ngZG cp_grid__em cp_width--one-half V42pZ"><div class="fckaL" data-ttid="tile-image-ntaer"><div class="cp_placeholr"></div></div><div data-ttid="tile-headg-ntaer" class="mhohf"><a class="E2VG5" data-ttid="tile-headg-lk" href="/news/wal/2020-11-26/welsh-referee-nigel-owens-swaps-gby-boots-for-welli-after-fulfillg-lifelong-dream-of-beg-a-farmer"><h2 class="cp_headg FBRAm">Nigel Owens swaps gby boots for welli after beg a farmer</h2></a></div></article></asi><p class="A8Lwr BVYCX">His full post on social media read: "I’ve thought long and hard about postg this letter I received the post a few weeks ago sged by a Steel Worker PT. </p><p class="A8Lwr BVYCX">"But unls we start llg out the kd of people nothg will change. It hurts and there is no need for all this hate."</p><p class="A8Lwr BVYCX">The letter also mentns former Wal ternatnal gby player Gareth Thomas.</p><p class="A8Lwr BVYCX">Thomas replied to the post sayg "He’s a serial wrer butt, he wr those kds of letters to everyone, good on you for (sic) llg him out."</p><figure class="A8Lwr m-O"><div class="cp_placeholr"></div><figptn class="Ya3u6 SilLI" data-ttid="ptned-picture-ptn">Nigel Owens now ns a farm the Gwendraeth Valley.</figptn></figure><p class="A8Lwr BVYCX">Owens 'me out' as gay 2007 and went on to bee the first referee to reach a landmark 100 ternatnal tts 2020.</p><p class="A8Lwr BVYCX">He's now livg a <a class="qNUzV q7LZa" data-ttid="next-lk-anchor" href="/news/wal/2020-11-26/welsh-referee-nigel-owens-swaps-gby-boots-for-welli-after-fulfillg-lifelong-dream-of-beg-a-farmer"><span class="n6NlI">lifelong dream of beg a farmer</span></a> and workg as a TV pund.</p><p class="A8Lwr BVYCX">The letter sparked an outpourg of support for Owens om people on social media</p><p class="A8Lwr BVYCX">One social media er lled the letter "pathetic and absurd" while dozens exprsed their "love" for the gby legend. </p><p class="A8Lwr BVYCX">Another lled the letter "disgtg" and that they were "so sorry that this day and age you still receive msag like this."</p><p class="A8Lwr BVYCX">A msage om TATA Steel's official UK Twter acunt read: "We’re wh you 100% Nigel and we are horrified to see apparently signed by one of our own steel fay. </p><p class="A8Lwr BVYCX">"There is no place for such hatred a steel works, a gby club or society <a class="qNUzV q7LZa" href=" data-ttid="fecp-lk-anchor"><span class="n6NlI">#ShameOnThem</span></a><a class="qNUzV q7LZa" href=" data-ttid="fecp-lk-anchor"><span class="n6NlI">#BeKd</span></a>"</p></div><footer data-ttid="article-footer"><div class="cQTzz C04KI" data-ttid="tag-list"><ul class="fHh0w"><li class="Jp5fE"><div class="aqX0o"></div><div data-ttid="tag" class="_6DWPQ xp9pO"><a class="HPL4j" 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