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Outlook: Rugby star Gareth Thomas: Strong, vulnerable and HIV+

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Gareth Thomas of Wales passes the ball during an RBS Six Nations Championship match in 2006

06/07/2021 GMT

Rugby star Gareth Thomas: Strong, vulnerable and HIV+

BBC World Service - Outlook, Rugby star Gareth Thomas: Strong, vulnerable and HIV+

Rugby legend Gareth Thomas was blackmailed and lived in fear before revealing he was HIV+

Initially rugby icon Gareth Thomas only told a few people close to him that he is HIV+. After one of them started blackmailing him he chose a very public way to reveal his secret.

Gareth Thomas is one of the most successful and famous Welsh rugby players of all time. He's also celebrated for being the first rugby player in the world to come out as gay. But when he was diagnosed with HIV, he was wracked with fear because of the stigma the condition carries. He started telling a few people close to him about his HIV status, but one of his confidants started blackmailing him. Gareth decided to take matters into his own hands and reveal his secret in a very public way. He's written a book called Stronger.

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Picture: Gareth Thomas of Wales passes the ball during an RBS Six Nations Championship match in 2006
Credit: Mike Hewitt/Getty Images

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