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Coming Out Sports

Pro Rugby Player Devin Ibañez Comes Out As Gay

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Pro rugby player Devin Ibañez, who played with the New England Skipjacks in 2019, came out in series of moving Instagram posts from a new account @thatgayrugger and also introduced the world to his boyfriend Fergus Wade.

Wrote Ibañez: “As 2020 comes to a close I took the time to reflect on my life and what aspects I could control and make positive changes to that would impact my day to day life and happiness. It became clear to me that living my life with more transparency and openly celebrating who I love would have an immediate positive impact on me and those I care about. So I want to start 2021 by celebrating the love of my life and my partner @ferguswade who has been with me through the highs and the (very) lows of the last three years. “

“I am openly gay. This is something that is not a secret to those close to me and even several people not close to me. But I always felt a need to keep it separate from my rugby career. I always came up with a reason why being more vocal would be a distraction, detrimental, or unnecessary.”

So I will proudly call myself ‘that gay rugger”’ in hopes that one day it won’t sound strange in men’s rugby,” he wrote. But it’s not just about what it sounds like for the athlete, but changing the environment.

According to Out Sports, “Ibañez, who played with the New England Free Jacks in 2019 and hopes to play in England to be closer to his boyfriend, posted his coming out message on Facebook and Instagram as a way to close out the old year and begin the new.”

“Rugby has changed my life and inspired me to do things I never would have considered possible,” he wrote. “But I have also found high level men’s rugby to still be far from a welcoming place for gay rugby players. I want to help change that because this sport has something to offer us all in the same way that we all have something we can offer to the sport.”

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