Rugby player Nick McCarthy comes out as gay, gives a sweet nod to Carl Nassib and Josh Cavallo
Leinster rugby star Nick McCarthy has officially shared his truth with the world.Though born in the U.S., McCarthy has followed in his father’s footsteps of playing rugby for Ireland since his adolescence.
However, the stress around the idea of coming out in the public eye had him thinking about leaving it all behind.In his official coming out interview with the Leinster Rugby publication, McCarthy stated, “It affected me so much that I agonized over my future and contemplated walking away from rugby altogether because I just didn’t think I could come out while playing rugby.”Related: 5 gay pro athletes who broke ground by coming out while still playingThankfully, he had his fellow team members to lean on.
Though just now coming out to the public, McCarthy explained that he’d actually told his coaches late last year.“I spoke to Leo (Cullen) and Stuart (Lancaster) last November, and the support that I got from them straight away was unbelievable.
They helped and guided me over the months that followed so that I felt more comfortable to come out to the group.” A post shared by Nick McCarthy (@nickmccarthy1)McCarthy went on to discuss some of the gay pioneers in athletics that helped inspire him to share his truth with his team and the world.“Looking at Carl Nassib or Josh Cavallo coming out and Jack Dunne here in Leinster and how he spoke publicly last year about his bisexuality, has helped me a lot.
