Irish brewer Guinness has launched a new European advertising campaign featuring popular rugby players, including openly gay player Gareth Thomas. The heartwarming videos highlight the adversity each player has had to overcome to reach the pinnacle of the sport.
Thomas's video is a tearjerker that focuses on his personal struggle to keep his sexuality private. The famous footballer came out in 2009 telling The Daily Mail, "I don't want to be known as a gay rugby player. I am a rugby player first and foremost. I am a man. I just happen to be gay. It's irrelevant. What I choose to do when I close the door at home has nothing to do with what I have achieved in rugby."
From the clip's description on YouTube:
"Never Alone tells the story of how the former Wales captain's greatest fear wasn't the opposition he faced on the pitch, but the fear of rejection from everything he had known, because of his sexuality. The film celebrates the courage of Gareth, and most importantly, the empathy shown by his teammates when he came out, showing that even when he felt he was on his own and at his lowest point, he was always part of a team."
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Guinness previously showed its support of LGBT last year, when it pulled its sponsorship of New York's St. Patrick's Day Parade over its exclusion of gay marchers.
Watch the video featuring Gareth Thomas below.
