English Rugby Referee Craig Maxwell-Keys Comes Out
December 5, 2019Top English rugby referee Craig Maxwell-Keys, one of the leading officials in the Gallagher Premiership opened up about his sexuality and spoke for the first time about coming out, reports ‘Wales Online’.
After coming out to his family and friends in 2016, he recently revealed the news to fellow referees and has now publicly shared his coming out story.
“The Rainbow Laces campaign brings back into the headlines stories from Nigel Owens and Sam Stanley (the English Sevens and Saracens rugby players who came out as gay in 2015) and their coming out stories," he said.
“While I was in the closet they were a source of support and comfort. It made it really clear to me while I was struggling to accept who I was, you could be part of elite sport.
“It's not about who you love but how good you are and that message resonated with me massively.
“I thought I was ready to come out probably two years into my pharmaceutical job and then literally as I was preparing to do that the job offer came up here (refereeing) and I very quickly realised I hadn't fully accepted it myself.
“You can't ask others to love you until you've fully loved yourself.
“Another two years down the line I got to that point.
“I came out just before I went to Manchester for the Under-20s Junior World Championship in 2016. I told friends and family before I headed there.”
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