Ian Roberts
Australian Rugby League

Ian Roberts was widely regarded as one of the world's best front-rowers in the late 1980s. He moved from the South Sydney club to Manly in 1989, making him Rugby League's highest-paid player at the time. 

In the upheaval in Rugby League in the mid 90's, Roberts signed with Super League and in 1996 moved to Townsville to captain the North Queensland Cowboys.

Though he had been well known in Sydney gay circles for some time, Ian came out publicly in 1995, appearing in magazines and on television over the coming year. Interestingly, the rugby world was generally very supportive, with other players commenting that it was important to be "true to yourself" while Footy Show principals Paul Vautin, Peter Sterling and Steve Roach appeared in a poster campaign against homophobia conducted by the Lesbian and Gay Anti-Violence Project.

Ian has not only done the gay community an enormous service, he has also helped the general community to question the destructive prevailing myths about gays and sport.  

There are some occupations where being publicly gay is no big deal; coming out in those circles is hardly risky. But coming out in the world of Rugby was unquestionably a very courageous step; Ian Roberts is a great pioneer.

Ian finished playing professional football in 1998 and began studying at the National Institute of Dramatic Art (NIDA) in Sydney.

Paul Freeman's book "Ian Roberts - Finding Out" was published in 1997. 

Click on one of the thumbnail photos above for a full-size version

See  more photos at Ian Roberts tribute page