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Ian Roberts is remembered as one of the toughest men in rugby league. He played almost 200 games in the NRL and represented Australia at the highest level. But his story goes beyond his performances on the field.
Roberts was the first professional rugby league player in the world to reveal he was gay during his playing career. He came out in 1995. His decision made headlines and inspired many. But behind the scenes, his journey was not easy.
Recently, Roberts’ past has resurfaced as he shared his views on the Sassy Scott AFL controversy.
On his podcast, gay TikTok star Scott O’Halloran said :
“And now you’ve booked Snoop Dogg who just mocked same-sex parents, like me. That’s an embarrassment. And that’s my family that you’ve brought into this. So I don’t want to hear that this is complicated. This is personal.”
Roberts commented on it, saying:
“Man I have to disagree with you on the way you believe this stuff should be handled. I hope I’m wrong but it feels like you have so much anger/frustration even maybe hatred boiling away just below the surface. That is no starting point to formulate any sort of resolution for anyone. We need to rise above that, we need to be understanding also. We all need to do better. Peace.”
In looking back, he revealed how his parents responded when he first told them about his sexuality.
Ian Roberts and his family’s reaction
Ian Roberts grew up in a household where, in his words, there was “a lot of racism, and misogynistic and homophobic language.” This environment made it difficult for him to open up about being gay. He kept his secret from his family for a long time.
When his parents finally asked him, they wanted him to deny the rumors. Roberts recalled,
“My dad retold the story and said ‘we just need to hear you say you are not gay, and that is good enough for us.’”
Instead, Roberts chose honesty. He told them he was gay.
The response was not what he hoped for.
“My dad's first words were: 'But you play footy, you play for Australia.' That was where his head went,” Roberts said.
After that, his parents did not speak to him for 18 months.
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A different story with his teammates
While his family struggled to accept the news, his teammates at the Manly Sea Eagles responded in a much different way. Roberts said it became a moment of unity.
“It was kind of a bonding moment for us. They were my tribe and my people, and it almost felt at times like they were trying to protect me.”
His reputation as a strong and aggressive player also changed people’s ideas about gay men.
“My coming out challenged people's preconceptions of gay men,” he explained.
His openness broke stereotypes in the sport.
Ian Roberts also admitted there was some resistance.
“There were elements of pushback – of course there were – but if I knew what I know now I would have come into top-level rugby league as a gay man.”
He said his overall experience was very different from that of English footballer Justin Fashanu, who faced harsh treatment after coming out.
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Ian Roberts’ story illustrates the challenges faced by athletes in coming out in the 1990s. His parents’ silence after his revelation was painful, but his teammates gave him the support he needed.
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