From Fear to Full Acceptance: A Rugby Player’s Journey to Authenticity

Growing up in Newport, Tayler-Woolston watched his father and was inspired by historic club sides that once included South African internationals Gary Tiechmann and Percy Montgomery during the pre‑regional era.

After leading teams at Cardiff Metropolitan University and the Wales Students, and playing for Newbridge, he earned his first black and amber jersey in a match against Cardiff in October 2015.

A permanent transfer soon followed, though he struggled to reach his peak performance.

Tayler-Woolston came out to his family in his late teens; he recalls their reaction as supportive: “I couldn’t have asked for a better response — they weren’t bothered at all.” However, he kept his sexuality hidden within rugby circles.

“I was essentially living a double life and constantly deceiving myself,” he explained.

“It was during my second year with Newport that I realized I needed to come out and stop suppressing who I am,” he said.

“It was mentally exhausting and kept me on constant alert. I longed to dine with my partner and hold their hand without constantly watching my back,” he added.

Being relatively new to the squad, Tayler-Woolston’s primary fear was rejection.

He wondered how the coaching staff would react and whether he would continue to be selected.

“Those thoughts accumulated because I had read cautionary tales online,” he added.

“I felt I was deceiving my teammates as I couldn’t be my authentic self around them,” he said.

“It is exhausting to remain guarded all the time, worrying about others’ opinions and the possibility of isolation or rejection,” he noted.

“I love wearing the black and amber jersey; I never take it for granted, and it means everything to me,” he said.

“It would have been devastating to be rejected by my club and city, but fortunately I’ve never experienced that,” he concluded.

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