Campbell Johnstone

Former New Zealand rugby player Campbell Johnstone became the first All Black to come out publicly as gay, in an interview with TVNZ's Seven Sharp on ...

“Rugby is a sport that is welcoming to everyone and a place where people should feel safe to be who they are. “Then the public will know that there is one in amongst the All Blacks … We know that there are people who have not always been comfortable to be who they are in rugby.

Former New Zealand rugby prop Campbell Johnstone has become the first All Black to publicly come out as gay.

On the advice Johnstone would give to other All Blacks and athletes thinking of coming out, he said, ‘There's no rule or law about coming out. Rather than coming out during his playing career, Johnstone said he pushed his sexuality to the side and admitted that he would blame bad games on being gay. ‘Within myself I was never really comfortable with the concept,’ Johnstone said.

A former All Black player has been widely praised in New Zealand after coming out as gay in a powerful TV interview. 3 min read. January 30, 2023 - 9:08PM.

And from one prop to another, ngā mihi Campbell!” Here I was looking in the mirror, haven’t been honest with my teammates; and that puts a lot of pressure on and just builds up on you,” he said. I hope it inspires future generations to be open, happy and comfortable. Then the public will know that there is one in among the All Blacks,” he said. “It’s important to create an inclusive environment in sport at all levels, and that starts at the top. I went to some interesting places.”

Former All Black Campbell Johnstone on Monday became the first ex-New Zealand international rugby union male player to come out as gay.

It’s important to create an inclusive environment in sport at all levels, and that starts at the top,” Robertson posted on Facebook. And from one prop to another, nga mihi Campbell!,” added Robertson. And here I was looking in the mirror, had not been honest with my teammates, you know, and that puts a lot of pressure, and it builds up on you.” I hope it inspires future generations to be open, happy and comfortable. My view of an All Black was manly, strong, possibly with a wife and kids,” Johnstone told Seven Sharp’s Hilary Barry. The All Blacks expressed their support for Johnstone’s decision to come out.

The three-cap prop hopes to help 'take away the pressure and stigma' surrounding homosexuality in elite men's sport.

We want to be clear, no matter who you love, rugby has your back.” But it slowly starts to affect you. “It would come to the surface and I may have a bad game and I would look at that side of me and blame that side.

The former prop has become the first All Blacks rugby player to come out after going to 'interesting places'.

There is still a long way to go, but this feels a very significant step,” he said on Instagram. We want to be clear, no matter who you love rugby has your back,” he said in a statement. I hope it inspires future generations to be open, happy and comfortable.

Current All Blacks have praised former prop Campbell Johnstone after he has become the first All Black to publicly come out as gay.

If I open up that door and magically make that closet disappear then we’re going to help a lot of people. It would come to the surface and I may have had a bad game, and I would look at that side of me and blame that for it. Here I was looking in the mirror, haven’t been honest with my teammates; and that puts a lot of pressure on and just builds up on you,” he said. The stronger you are, and if you can make yourself stronger by relieving anxiety and stress, then you can fit that mould. And from one prop to another, ngā mihi Campbell!” I hope it inspires future generations to be open, happy and comfortable. He also believed the team shared his inclusive attitude. I’d pushed that side of me down deeper and deeper; I’ve been to some interesting places with that. Then the public will know that there is one in amongst the All Blacks,” he said. And now with the All Blacks another barrier has been broken. “It’s important to create an inclusive environment in sport at all levels, and that starts at the top. “If I open up that door and magically make that closet disappear, then we’re going to help a lot of people.”

The former New Zealand rugby player Campbell Johnstone has become the first All Black to come out as gay, saying he hoped to 'take away the pressure and the ...

“If you can make yourself stronger by relieving anxiety and stress, the you will fit that mould.” But he had kept the matter private during his playing career, leading a “double life” and “living a lie” because his sexuality did not fit with his image of an All Black, he said. “We want to be clear, no matter who you love, rugby has your back.” Johnstone is not New Zealand’s first international rugby player to come out. The former prop played three Tests in 2005 – with his last match against the British and Irish Lions. His vision of a player for the national side, he added, was someone who was “manly, strong…possibly had a wife, kids”, and he blamed his sexuality when he played poorly.

The prop played in three All Blacks tests in 2005 and made 72 appearances for Canterbury and 38 for the Crusaders. Campbell Johnstone, the first openly gay All ...

They’ve been the most supportive people. “The support from team-mates has been immense. I’ve never experienced anything I’d call unsafe or that worried me,” he said. The prop first picked up a rugby ball at age 5, playing the sport in the backyard with his older brothers. “I think people will naturally start normalising it so much more now because there’s not that looking around going, ‘who could it be? There was never a moment that he thought of giving it away because of the perceived culture of the game. If there’s just one person and that gives you relief and lessens stress then that’s fine,” he said. “When we decided to go on this journey, and open up this door, even if we help one person then this has been a success for us. “Really touching [messages] from parents who say it’s so good to see someone coming out and being a gay All Black, and meaning their kids who possibly are struggling or have been struggling have a role model and reassurance that it doesn’t matter about sexuality. * He never thought his story would go global. Not in my wildest imagination I thought it would be so far-reaching.

Key points: New Zealand rugby union figures have praised retired All Blacks player Campbell Johnstone's television interview in which he came out as gay ...

I hope it inspires future generations to be open, happy and comfortable. "Now with the All Blacks another barrier has been broken. We want to be clear, no matter who you love rugby has your back," he said in a statement.

ANALYSIS: The careless slurs used predominantly by teenage boys and young men have lost their sting after Campbell Johnstone's announcement.

However, that should not be accepted with a shred of complacency. As Johnstone noted in his interview on Seven Sharp, there is no “rule” here. Now there is an All Blacks prop who has smashed the stereotypes that underpin that language. The No 3 position is the hardest on the field. The short answer is ‘yes’. [the first active gay All Black](https://www.stuff.co.nz/sport/rugby/all-blacks/128653360/well-see-a-gay-all-black-says-new-zealand-rugby-president-max-spence) is a separate and complex issue. But while the historical context is easy to grasp, what does it mean in there here and now? * [Johnstone’s announcement](https://www.stuff.co.nz/sport/rugby/all-blacks/300796159/gay-rugby-clubs-applaud-exall-black-campbell-johnstones-decision-to-come-out). [Campbell Johnstone reveals himself to be first openly gay All Black](https://www.stuff.co.nz/sport/rugby/all-blacks/131103436/campbell-johnstone-reveals-himself-to-be-first-openly-gay-all-black?rm=a) ['Thanks Campbell Johnstone': Ruby Tui, Brad Weber proud of first openly gay All Black](https://www.stuff.co.nz/sport/rugby/all-blacks/131105312/thanks-campbell-johnstone-ruby-tui-brad-weber-proud-of-first-openly-gay-all-black?rm=a) [Campbell Johnstone’s coming out](https://www.stuff.co.nz/sport/rugby/all-blacks/131105312/thanks-campbell-johnstone-ruby-tui-brad-weber-proud-of-first-openly-gay-all-black?rm=a) is a significant moment in the history of rugby in New Zealand.