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Gareth Thomas beaten in homophobic Cardiff attack

By Online Editors
Gareth Thomas (Getty Images)

Welsh rugby legend Gareth Thomas has released a video on Twitter after he was attacked in his home city of Cardiff.

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Thomas – rugby union’s first openly gay player – says he was the victim of a hate crime.

A clearly bruised Thomas gave a brief overview of the incident in the 38-second long video.

“This morning I’ve decided to make what hope will be a positive video. Last night was the victim, in my home city of a hate crime for my sexuality.

“Why I want it to be positive is because I wanted to say thank you to the police who were involved and who allowed me to do restorative justice, because I thought they could learn more that way than any other way.

“And also to the people of Cardiff who supported me, because there are a lot of people out there who want to hurt us. Unfortunately for them, there’s a lot more people who wanted to help us heal.”

The rugby community offered their support to Thomas on the social media platform.

Welsh scrumhalf Rhys Webb tweeted: “They Picked on the wrong person there mate. Hope your ok. You’ve got my full support”.

The BBC’s Jill Douglas wrote: “Well put Alfie – very sorry you had to experience this, but a typically positive and uplifting reaction.”

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Gabby Logan also chipped in with: “Loads of love big man.”

The incident mars what was otherwise a happy evening for Welsh Rugby.

Wales cruised to an ultimately comfortable 74-24 victory over Tonga on Saturday.

Steff Evans, Tomos Williams, Tyler Morgan, Cory Hill, Aled Davies and Rhys Patchell all touched down before Liam Williams marked his big day with a second try.

Dan Biggar – back in the side having lost the number 10 shirt to Gareth Anscombe for last weekend’s victory over Australia – contributed 19 points, including 14 from the tee, to give coach Warren Gatland a selection headache ahead of next weekend’s visit of South Africa.

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The result extends Wales’ winning run to seven matches at home. Only once since 1978 have they enjoyed a longer such run – nine games between 1997 and 1999.

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Jon 8 hours ago
Jake White: Are modern rugby players actually better?

This is the problem with conservative mindsets and phycology, and homogenous sports, everybody wants to be the same, use the i-win template. Athlete wise everyone has to have muscles and work at the gym to make themselves more likely to hold on that one tackle. Do those players even wonder if they are now more likely to be tackled by that player as a result of there “work”? Really though, too many questions, Jake. Is it better Jake? Yes, because you still have that rugby of ole that you talk about. Is it at the highest International level anymore? No, but you go to your club or checkout your representative side and still engage with that ‘beautiful game’. Could you also have a bit of that at the top if coaches encouraged there team to play and incentivized players like Damian McKenzie and Ange Capuozzo? Of course we could. Sadly Rugby doesn’t, or didn’t, really know what direction to go when professionalism came. Things like the state of northern pitches didn’t help. Over the last two or three decades I feel like I’ve been fortunate to have all that Jake wants. There was International quality Super Rugby to adore, then the next level below I could watch club mates, pulling 9 to 5s, take on the countries best in representative rugby. Rugby played with flair and not too much riding on the consequences. It was beautiful. That largely still exists today, but with the world of rugby not quite getting things right, the picture is now being painted in NZ that that level of rugby is not required in the “pathway” to Super Rugby or All Black rugby. You might wonder if NZR is right and the pathway shouldn’t include the ‘amateur’, but let me tell you, even though the NPC might be made up of people still having to pull 9-5s, we know these people still have dreams to get out of that, and aren’t likely to give them. They will be lost. That will put a real strain on the concept of whether “visceral thrill, derring-do and joyful abandon” type rugby will remain under the professional level here in NZ. I think at some point that can be eroded as well. If only wanting the best athlete’s at the top level wasn’t enough to lose that, shutting off the next group, or level, or rugby players from easy access to express and showcase themselves certainly will. That all comes back around to the same question of professionalism in rugby and whether it got things right, and rugby is better now. Maybe the answer is turning into a “no”?

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j
john 10 hours ago
Will the Crusaders' decline spark a slow death for New Zealand rugby?

But here in Australia we were told Penney was another gun kiwi coach, for the Tahs…….and yet again it turned out the kiwi coach was completely useless. Another con job on Australian rugby. As was Robbie Deans, as was Dave Rennie. Both coaches dumped from NZ and promoted to Australia as our saviour. And the Tahs lap them up knowing they are second rate and knowing that under pressure when their short comings are exposed in Australia as well, that they will fall in below the largest most powerful province and choose second rate Tah players to save their jobs. As they do and exactly as Joe Schmidt will do. Gauranteed. Schmidt was dumped by NZ too. That’s why he went overseas. That why kiwi coaches take jobs in Australia, to try and prove they are not as bad as NZ thought they were. Then when they get found out they try and ingratiate themselves to NZ again by dragging Australian teams down with ridiculous selections and game plans. NZ rugby’s biggest problem is that it can’t yet transition from MCaw Cheatism. They just don’t know how to try and win on your merits. It is still always a contest to see how much cheating you can get away with. Without a cheating genius like McCaw, they are struggling. This I think is why my wise old mate in NZ thinks Robertson will struggle. The Crusaders are the nursery of McCaw Cheatism. Sean Fitzpatrick was probably the father of it. Robertson doesn’t know anything else but other countries have worked it out.

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