World's first gay rugby club turns 20: 'No one had seen players like us before'

Updated 1115 GMT (1915 HKT) October 23, 2015

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This year the world's first gay rugby club, the Kings Cross Steelers (pictured in blue and green), celebrates its 20th anniversary. Courtesy King's Cross Steelers/Jason Davis

The club was founded by six friends in a London bar, and has grown to have 150 members and three teams. Courtesy King's Cross Steelers/Jason Davis

Mark Bithell, who joined the Steelers in 1998, says many straight teams were initially scared of playing them because of the AIDS epidemic of that era. "It was the '90s -- people were still scared of HIV and there was a lot ignorance about how you could catch it and who could be infected." Courtesy King's Cross Steelers/Jason Davis

But overall, homophobic abuse has been rare, says Robert Hayward, a former Conservative MP and one of the club's founding members. Courtesy King's Cross Steelers/Jason Davis

Some players joined the Steelers after saying they didn't feel completely comfortable at other clubs. Courtesy King's Cross Steelers/Jason Davis

The Steelers' first team has steadily risen up the regional competitions and now plays in London and South East Division's Essex League One. Courtesy King's Cross Steelers/Jason Davis

Former Wales captain and British Lions star Gareth Thomas came out in 2009 -- which had a huge impact on Steelers player Mark Bithell. "It was such a positive message to send out. Before these people came out and before our team started playing fixtures, I think there was a perception that gay men just did theater." CLEMENS BILAN/AFP/AFP/Getty Images/File

International rugby referee Nigel Owens (center) came out in 2007, and has spoken about the depression he suffered while coming to terms with his sexuality, at one point attempting to take his own life.
"Rugby players may seem very macho but I've had no problem with them at all," he told British newspaper The Independent.
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