Gareth Thomas says he is gay

The name Gareth Thomas may not mean much to you, but in the world of rugby, it does. Thomas is the first Welshman to get 100 international caps and has captained both his country and the British Lions.

And last night he came out and said he was gay.

Thomas revealed he had already told teammates and close friends about his sexuality - and had their support.

So why did the 35-year-old delay in telling people? Thomas said he had known he was gay since he was 16, but could not come out because of rugby's macho image.

He said: "Rugby was my life and I wasn't prepared to risk losing it."

Thomas is still playing, so this is a huge deal. I've often wondered myself if any US athlete will ever come out while they're playing. Statistical odds say there is a gay athlete in one of the major sports leagues. However, the incredibly macho nature of sports makes it pretty unlikely that they'd admit to being gay any time soon.

Anyway, I salute Thomas for what he did. That took a hell of a lot of courage.