Big League Weekly Edition – August 01, 2019

Eachweekofour100thyear,

BigLeaguewillreflectonthe

storiesthathavecaptivated

andimpactedonthegreat

game of rugby league.

100

CELEBRATING

YEARS OF YARNS

sportspersoninAustraliatomake

therevelationabouthissexuality.

WhileplayingatManlythe

previousyear,afterhehad

gaineda reputationasthebest

youngpropinthegameduring

histhreeseasonswithSouth

Sydney,Robertselectedtobe

interviewedfora coverstoryfor

thegaymagazineBlue’sfirst

issue,witha nudephotoappearing.

Yetthestoryneverequivocally

saidhewasgaybecause,as

heexplainedyearslater,the

interviewerwasn’tgameto

directlyaskhim– justlike

anyjournalistbeforehim.

Thepowerfulpropfinally

declared his relationship

significancethebreakthrough

revelationwouldretainalmost

twoanda halfdecadeslater.

NotoneNRLplayerhaspublicly

declaredhomosexualitysince

Roberts– despitetheongoing

acceptanceoftheLGBTQ

communityandanunderstanding

thatothergayplayersexist.

It wasOctober 1990 when

BritishsoccerplayerJustin

Fashanu,becamethefirst

(andstillonly)EnglishPremier

Leagueplayertodeclarehe

wasgay.Sadly,hestruggled

fortherestofhiscareerand

committedsuicideinApril

1998 afterfacingsexual

assault charges.

2010-11,makinghimthefirstout

gayplayerintheEnglishSuper

League.Thesecond– Wakefield

TrinitypropKeeganHirst– told

theworldhewasgayin 2015 while

playingforBatley.

MichaelSambecamethefirst

top-lineAmericanFootballerto

publiclymakethedeclaration.He

waspassedoveraftertraining

withtheStLouisRamsandDallas

Cowboysandplayedbrieflyforthe

MontrealAlouettesbeforeretiring

in2015,citingmentalhealthissues

asa contributor.

SothemoveofRobertsinthe

mid-1990s,despiteadviceby

friendstowaituntilhisleague

career had ended, should still be

recognisedfornotjusthiscourage,
butalsoforrugbyleague’sgeneral
acceptanceofhisdeclaration.
Thiswasa timewhentherewere
stillgaybashingsandmurdersin
Sydney,despitehomosexuality
beingdecriminalisedin
NewSouthWalesin1984.
AtfirstRobertshidhis
sexualityfromhisparentsand
team-mates.Helaterbeganto
frequentestablishmentslike
TheExchangeHotelonOxfordSt,
andrumoursabouthissexuality
slowlyspread.Robertswould
takefemalecompanionsto
functionasa decoy.
HemovedtoManlyin 1990
andwaschosenforNSWand
Australiathatseason.Several
team-matesbecameawarehe
wasgay,butit waslate 1995
beforehepubliclyconfirmedit.
Robertsreceivedthousands
oflettersfromyoungmen
whohadbeenstrugglingwith
thestigmaaroundtheirsexuality,
thankinghimforgivingthem
sucha respectedrolemodel.
Hereceivedhatemail
too,andwasthesubjectof
homophobictauntsfrom
somefans.However,hewas
morewidelyadmiredforhis
courage,witha comment
fromSydneyMorningHerald
columnistandformerrugby
unionTestforwardPeter
FitzSimonsaptlyrepresenting
theweightofopinion.
“Robertsisnotthefirstgay
footballer,butthefirstwith
thecouragetoliveit openly,”
FitzSimonswrote.
Thenextseason,battling
a chronickneeinjury,Roberts
leftthewhirlpoolofpublic
scrutinyinSydneyandplayed
hisfinaltwoseasonsforNorth
Queensland,withcoachTim
Sheensgivinghimthecaptaincy
wellintothe’97seasonand
PHOTOS: for1998.Heretiredatage33.

Gregg Porteous (Main); Supplied (Inset)

Round 20BIG LEAGUE 2019 13