Rugby legend admits he is gay.

[APoc184]

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London - Wales rugby union legend Gareth Thomas publicly announced on Saturday he is gay, saying that living a double life had driven him to suicidal despair.

The Cardiff Blues full-back, 35, told the Daily Mail newspaper that keeping his sexuality a secret had made his adult life agony and feelings of guilt towards his wife Jemma plunged him into depression.

Former Wales and British and Irish Lions captain Thomas is one of few top international sportsmen to say publicly that he is gay.

He is Wales's most-capped player with 100 appearances, and ninth in the all-time Test try scoring list with 41, including one from his three Lions caps.

"I've been through all sorts of emotions with this, tears, anger and absolute despair," he said.

"I wasn't sure if I ever wanted to let people know and, to be honest, I feel anxious about people's reactions.

"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."

'I could never accept it'

The former Bridgend and Toulouse back said he knew he was gay at the age of 16 or 17.

"I could never accept it because I knew I would never be accepted as a gay man and still achieve what I wanted to achieve in the game," he said.

"I became a master of disguise and could play the straight man down to a tee, sometimes over-compensating by getting into fights or being overly aggressive because I didn't want the real me to be found out.

"But when you withdraw into yourself you start to feel lonely, upset, ashamed."

He met future wife Jemma at a friend's 18th birthday party.

"I genuinely did love her. She was the nicest, most caring, understanding, prettiest girl I had ever met," he said.

"It was such a confusing time because I had amazingly strong feelings for her, yet I knew I had taken who I was and put it in a little ball and pushed it in a corner."

Depression

The pair married in 2002. They separated in 2006 and their divorce is due to be finalised. The couple suffered three miscarriages.

"I used to pray as hard as I could. I would say to God: 'I have Jemma, I love her. Please take away these feelings that I have'," Thomas said.

He said inner pain and depression repeatedly led him to contemplate suicide by jumping off a cliff.

His marriage falling apart, in November 2006, at the Millennium Stadium in Cardiff after a Wales game, Thomas broke down in the dressing room.

He confessed to Scott Johnson, a coach, who, thinking Thomas could do with the support, told his team-mates Stephen Jones and Martyn Williams.

"They came in, patted me on the back and said 'We don't care'," Thomas said.

"Two of my best mates in rugby didn't even blink an eyelid."

Since then he has told his Cardiff Blues team-mates and it has not caused a problem.

'I'm a rugby player first'

"I don't want to be known as a gay rugby player. I am a rugby player first and foremost," Thomas said.

"I am a man. 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.

"It's pretty tough for me being the only international rugby player prepared to break the taboo.

"Statistically I can't be the only one, but I'm not aware of any other gay player still in the game.

"I'd love for it, in 10 years' time, not to even be an issue in sport, and for people to say: 'So what?'"

Good on you. I already feel "So what"?.

I would love to see how his team mates and opponents react to this.

Schalk Burger: Now I know who grabbed my arse in that second test. Sorry for trying to gouge out the wrong guy's eyes.

 

[medicnick83]

Funny how people are still hiding their sexuality, who the hell cares if you gay or not.
Admit it, be proud of it and that's that, end of story!

 

[Shake&Bake]

That's a helluva MILF he married and left!

 

[Freshy-ZN]

His team-mates are now thinking about all those after game showers....

 

[Alan]

Plenty of gay rugby players I suspect......

 

[adrianx]

Funny how people are still hiding their sexuality, who the hell cares if you gay or not.
Admit it, be proud of it and that's that, end of story!

Hmmm, are homophobic attacks mostly carried out by older generations or younger ones? Just wondering. There is probably more acceptance than before, but the problem hasn't gone away completely. It only takes a religious nut or two to make sure that homophobia will never die.

 

[LabAnimal]

oh good for him! Why should anybody have to lie to be accepted in this world is beyond me!

 

[-LiLiTh-]

Is this proof that rugby is for men who like touching each other?

 

[snobee]

Hmmm, are homophobic attacks mostly carried out by older generations or younger ones? Just wondering. There is probably more acceptance than before, but the problem hasn't gone away completely. It only takes a religious nut or two to make sure that homophobia will never die.

Agreed, unfortunately there is a LOT of ACCEPTED gay bashing going on still. It is naive to think that it will ever go away when most of your organised religions condemn it. Racism is still here, so what makes one think gay trashing is going to be eliminated especially with all the judgemental gits out there. :-( Sad, but true.

 

[killadoob]

I am not so sure how the rugby world would take players coming and admitting they are gay.

Would make work very uncomfortable, specially scrum time .

 

[elL0L]

Probably had a hard time in the showers keeping 'Small Gareth' down.

 

[killadoob]

Probably had a hard time in the showers keeping 'Small Gareth' down.

LOL

You can equate a gay man showering with 10-15 men to a straight oke showering with 10-15 beautiful women. That is why it would be odd in my opinion.

Those chicks would not want an oke showering with them, yet when a gay gets treated like that everyone cries foul.

 

[Wiehan]

LOL

You can equate a gay man showering with 10-15 men to a straight oke showering with 10-15 beautiful women. That is why it would be odd in my opinion.

Those chicks would not want an oke showering with them, yet when a gay gets treated like that everyone cries foul.

Of course, your argument falls apart when you consider the fact that the average rugby player is not what most would call "beautiful", nor is it equivalent.

It's kinda like showering in a room full of bears (pun not intended): something you just want to get over with as fast as possible.

 

[Kaleb]

Rugby players like to jam their heads up other players butts (aparently called a scrum) and they also wear short shorts when playing. Yeah this is indeed shocking news .

 

[killadoob]

Wiehan regardless if they are hot or not.

A pack of 15 females regardless whether hot or not would enjoy a lesbian or man showering with them.

Ok maybe the lesbian but that is because lesbians are awesome .

 

[adrianx]

Ok maybe the lesbian but that is because lesbians are awesome .

Not the ones that look like rugby players...

 

[lilggg]

Wheres pics of his chick?ex chick

 

[Ou grote]

And Percy?

 

[capetownguy]

wonder if he is the only gay in his welsh village

 

[Sting]

I doubt whether he is alone...

/waiting for the others to come out of the closet! Come on, Big Boyz!