International rugby player says he is gay

barrypriddis said:
I have no problem with any gender issues, but why do people feel they have to state what their preference is?
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KIPAX said:
I agree.. nowerdays it's more a case of... so what?
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He's not thinking just about himself but about others too. Think about it. People are bullied and discriminated against for lots of reasons, including sexuality. By having people in the public spotlight come out and say that they are gay can be a tremendously powerful thing. It enables those previously afraid of being open about their sexuality for fear of backlash to do so and gives them more confidence about it. It's a good thing. People look at celebrities as role models.
 
KayJay said:
He's not thinking just about himself but about others too. ......... People look at celebrities as role models.
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This is true, which is why gender is now much less of an issue than it was 50 years or so ago.
I personally don't care about anyone's sexuality, and hope this fella is allowed to carry on playing without any small minded twunts making it impossible.

steve172 said:
Saw a photo of his Mrs in the papers, how could he possibly turn gay... she is mint!
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He wouldn't be the first gay man to carry on a hetero relationship for the sake of appearances. I feel sorry for the woman if she didn't know. (he was punching well above his weight there anyway)
 
Vic said:
No not uncertainty about their sexuality but about how loved ones and colleagues would react. This guy did something brave and to publicise it, this would be better than getting it splashed across page 3 when he is photographed with a boyfriend.
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After hearing about some of the homo-erotic acts that go on at some rugby lads' parties, I'm sure it could be easily explained away as banter.

But I agree that it shouldn't be an issue.
 
Who cares if he is gay or not? How does it make him a better or worse player?
 
Christ! Now a Welsh rugby ref has come out...Put a whole new slant on checking studs.....[thats a joke for any other rugby refs out there!!]

Dunc
 
which welsh ref, it's been known for a long time that nigel owens is gay, along with one of the worlds top 3 referee's, wayne barnes
 
Yes Nigel owen! Didn't realise it was old news, probably because he has a book out......?! Didn't know about Waynes Barnes, he was here at The UEA in Norwich. I think he used to organise the refs for the UEA sides as I recall him phoning me once. Top notch ref!! [Wayne that is]

Dunc
 
candlestick said:
Gloucester is one of the few 'working class' RU clubs, and I certainly appreciate they probably don't subscribe to the biggoted tendancies of the RFU, however to say that RL has tried to kill RU is simply nonsense - can you give some examples?? From a RU perspective, I'll start with the ban of RL players from playing RU even at amateur level for 100 years, with in some cases player records being removed after a code switch to RL (I'm sure there's a club, possibly Huddersfield RU, where a player was 'painted' out of a photo because he chose to play RL). Many players who chose amateur RL were banned from even entering RU clubhouses for playing the wrong code. Next up, whatabout a ban of RL in the armed forces, which was only rescinded after RU went professional, thus ensuring that RL was confined to the northern 'underclasses'. How about the French RU association seizure of RL assets including grounds etc under the Vichy regime, which French RL was never compensated for, not even an apology in fact!

Would you like any more examples?? I have little problem with RU as a sport, and I appreciate that at grassroots and within certain clubs like Gloucester, they have no affinity to the old school at Twickers, however, there are many clubs that do. To suggest that RL has ever tried to kill off RU is ludicrous - RL has been trying to kill itself off for years, and hasn't even managed that!!! :D
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Crikey! Your knowledge far out reaches mine in this matter. In Glos we do have RL team, but it is very much a minority sport I will admit. From my own experience through the 80's and 90's it seened like RL teams wer trying to poach every player going and had the money to do so. That is basically what I was alluding to. Obviously it goes both ways as we currently have Lesley Vainikolo player for us and in the past Henry Paul. Both were heavily RFU sponsered though which I'm was not particularly happy about :(
 
jj_glos said:
Crikey! Your knowledge far out reaches mine in this matter. In Glos we do have RL team, but it is very much a minority sport I will admit. From my own experience through the 80's and 90's it seened like RL teams wer trying to poach every player going and had the money to do so. That is basically what I was alluding to. Obviously it goes both ways as we currently have Lesley Vainikolo player for us and in the past Henry Paul. Both were heavily RFU sponsered though which I'm was not particularly happy about :(
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RL did offer pro terms to RU players especially in the era you suggested, however very few moved as they could earn more staying 'amateur' in RU, certainly in England anyway - I think there's a quote somewhere from a Bath player who said he couldn't afford to go 'pro' with a RL team, when offered. The only truly professional RL team before Super League and the Murdoch millions, were Wigan, hence their domination of the same period (all the other pro teams were made up of a few full timers, and semi pros to fill the gaps). An example I can think of, was Brian Noble who around the mid 80's was a GB international, yet was also a full time policeman. I think the idea of professionalism in RL is sometimes taken out of context - players were paid for broken time initially, and apart from the odd full timer, this didn't change much for 90 years.

I think the Welsh could argue that they suffered the most from RL's existance, as some of the greatest names in RL are ex Welsh RU players - Billy Boston, Kel Coslett, Clive & Jim Sullivan, Gus Risman to name a few. I'm convinced that the players I mentioned would have been greats in RU as they were in RL.
 
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