Gareth Thomas

Gareth Thomas is a retired rugby player. Thomas’ rugby career began when he was a child at Pencoed RFC. His first class career began at Bridgend before he moved to Pontypridd. On May 27, 1995, Thomas made his debut for Wales against Japan. In 1999, Thomas became one of seven players to score a Welsh record-equaling four tries in a match against Italy. Thomas captained Cardiff in 2001 and led them to a Welsh Premier Division title in 2003. Thomas was selected for the 2005 British and Irish Lions Tour to New Zealand. In 2005, Thomas was found guilty of assault while playing rugby in France. Two years later, he was banned for a month for misconduct charges. In February 2006, Thomas suffered a major health scare when he received a blow to his neck during a match. On December 2009, Thomas announced publicly that he was gay. His announcement made him the first openly gay professional rugby player.