RugbyRebels

Some of you may remember Campbell Johnstone. He was a surprise bolter in the 2005 All Blacks squad to play Fiji, and some scratch invitational team calling themselves "the Lions," coached by some scrub who never achieved shit - Clarence Woodman or something - before travelling to France to play for Biarritz back when they mattered, with some appearances for the Ospreys, Krasny Yar in Russia and CSM București in Romania.

He made history today, by becoming the first All Black to publicly come out as gay.




Of course, statistically, with 1200 All Blacks to date, there've probably been a few of them who were mad into dudes, who were under pressure to stay firmly in the closet.

It's also quite telling that the first publicly gay All Black could only feel safe to come out well after his career ended, when there are plenty of women in the Black Ferns that are happy to wave the rainbow flag around (e.g., Ruby Tui, Portia Woodman-Wickliffe and her wife, Renee Woodman-Wickliffe in the recent World Cup winning Black Ferns squad, for example).

At the very least, hopefully it'll lead to more young men being comfortable and secure enough about their sexualities, and some inward reflection on entrenched attitudes within the institutions.

Amazing that this is the first gay man to come out in the AB environment. But also a little sad that this is the first gay man to come out in the AB environment.

The girls are quite a bit more socially advanced than are the blokes it seems.

Realise I am reopening an old conversation here but I don't think the comparison of men and women really works here.

In a lot of women's sports, rugby included, there is an assumption that a lot of the athletes are gay. That is the stereotype and it is often straight girls fighting it. While it will still be a big thing in the individuals lives when they come out, coming out as gay in a women's rugby team is a different proposition to doing the same in a men's team where you are fighting against the perception.

To put it simply, in unprogressive thinking:

- gay man = weak, effeminate, soft = (fits in) worse at rugby
- gay women = butch, manly, hard = (fits in) better at rugby

Anyway, good on Campbell Johnstone. Worldwide there seems to be a gradual drip of pro men's footballers coming out. The world is slowly becoming a more accepting place.

Weemin also tend to be a lot less toxic when confronting potentially difficult issues. Imagine being in the closet in a Grizz Wyllie controlled AB dressing room.