Former Welsh rugby player Gareth Thomas reveals he is HIV-positive

The former Welsh captain is the first British sportsman to reveal his HIV status after revealing his homosexuality in 2009.

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Gareth Thomas with the British Lions jersey against New Zealand, July 2, 2005.
Gareth Thomas with the British Lions jersey against New Zealand, July 2, 2005. David Gray / REUTERS

Gareth Thomas is used to difficult revelations. In 2009, he was the first professional rugby player to reveal his homosexuality. The former captain of the Wales team reported Saturday, September 14, to be infected with the AIDS virus. He is also the first British sportsman to make known his HIV status.

"When I discovered that I should live with the HIV virus, my first thought was to tell me I was going to die"Thomas, 45, said in a documentary airing Wednesday.

He pointed out that the disease had little impact on his daily life apart from the fact that he has to take a tablet of medicine every day and has to go for a blood test at a hospital every six months.

Read also Gareth Thomas, the homo rugby player

"I do not blame people for not being aware of the situation. The problem is that in the scenarios accepted in the 1980s, people did not talk about it because they did not have any other information. "added the man to the 100 international selections.

Gareth Thomas started his international career in 1995 with Wales, where he played four World Cups. He also played in 2005 for the tour selection of the British and Irish Lions. In 2010, he had switched to rugby league before ending his career, on injury, the following year.

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