I don't know if you know Rugby or not, but it is one tough sport..
And Gareth Thomas is (arguably) the best Welsh Rugby player ever. He has made the news recently by coming out as gay, while still playing Rugby.
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Rugby is like American football - without pads and downs - so no time outs. He is a fullback / wing (which is kind of like our tailback). He still plays both for the country (Wales) in international tournaments and for his city team (Cardiff) professionally.
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He came out to his teammates last year, but they all kept quiet about it. He decided to come out publicly this year What I love is that he wants to
be known as a Rugby player - that happens to be gay; not as a gay Rugby player.
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I quote from Wikipedia about him a little.
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Gareth Thomas (born 25 July 1974 in Sarn near Bridgend) is a Welsh rugby union player who currently plays at fullback, wing or centre for the Cardiff Blues and most recently played as a fullback for Wales. On 26 May 2007, he surpassed Gareth Llewellyn as the most-capped Wales player with his 93rd appearance. A prolific try scorer at international level, Thomas is listed ninth in the world on the all-time Test try scoring list. During the 2007 Rugby World Cup, Thomas created sporting history when he become the first Welshman to win 100 international caps in rugby union.
More from Wikipedia.....
In December 2009 Thomas announced publicly that he is gay.[8] He told the Daily Mail , "I don't want to be known as a gay rugby player. I am a rugby player, first and foremost I am a man."[9] Thomas' public confirmation of his sexuality makes him the first openly gay professional rugby player still playing the game.[10] In an interview with the BBC, Thomas talked about how he hoped that his coming out would mean that in the future, young gay rugby players would be able to come out and be accepted as a "talented gay rugby player".[11] Thomas also said, "What I choose to do when I close the door at home has nothing to do with what I have achieved in rugby."[12]
It is a position (person first - sexual orientation as important as hair color later), I approve of and try to live my life by. I am a great worker, a funny guy, a little crazy sometimes, a great husband, blond moving to gray, and I happen to be gay.