Rugby League star Keegan Hirst opens up on 'taboo' still surrounding gay sportsmen

Britain's first rugby league player to come out as gay while still playing the sport speaks about the "taboo" of sportsmen coming out as gay.

Married father-of-two Keegan Hirst, who plays prop for the Batley Bulldogs, opened up about his sexuality at the weekend - one of the few to reveal they are gay during their sporting prime.

Speaking on ITV's Good Morning Britain, he said he hopes that his decision to speak out will encourage other sports stars to follow suit - and that one day, it will be so commonplace it does not make the news.

The 27-year-old said he had been overwhelmed and "humbled" by the messages of support which had poured in since his announcement.

Read: Keegan Hirst 'humbled' by support after coming out

He told Good Morning Britain it had taken him "a long time" to feel okay about himself and accept that he was gay, and had wanted to make a public announcement in the hope it would help others reach that point sooner.

And, he revealed, he had already had one message from a man who had taken inspiration from his story and revealed to his own friends and family that he was gay.

Cross-code international Gareth Thomas was previously the only openly gay rugby player after he came out while playing for rugby union side Cardiff Blues in 2009.

Thomas, who captained Wales and the British and Irish Lions, went on to play for league side Crusaders before retiring, but Hirst is the first player to come out publicly while playing the 13-man game.