Gareth Thomas

Gareth Thomas, nicknamed ‘Alfie’ by rugby fans around the world, is a legend of Welsh rugby. He was capped 100 times by Wales and also featured for both the British and Irish Lions and the Barbarians during his long and illustrious career.

Born on 25 July 1974, Gareth Thomas started his first-class career at Bridgend in 1994. Although he left for a spell at Cardiff, he re-joined Bridgend in 2001 and captained them to a Welsh Premier Division title in 2003. 

When regional plans were implemented for Welsh rugby, he joined the Celtic Warriors for a season before he left for Toulouse, where he won the Heineken Champions Cup. Following this, he returned to Wales and played for the Cardiff Blues until 2010, when he briefly played rugby league before retiring through injury.

Throughout his rugby union career, Gareth Thomas truly excelled on the international stage. Although both records have now been overtaken, he once held the record for most international tries for Wales and most appearances for Wales.

In 2009, Gareth Thomas also became the first openly gay professional rugby union player. Ever since he came out as gay, he has spoken about how he hopes that young gay rugby players will be able to come out and be accepted by their peers.

Post retirement, Gareth Thomas has also undertaken an unbelievable amount of charity work, particularly for the NSPCC and Childline. As a result, in 2020, he was appointed Commander of the Order of the British Empire (CBE) for services to sport and health.