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Nigel Owens weighs in on 'bully' Folau
By Online Editors
International rugby referee Nigel Owens has given his thoughts on Wallaby superstar Israel Folau's string of comments regarding gay people.
Folau recently took to Instagram and expressed the opinion that 'God's plan' for gay people is "HELL... unless they repent for their sins".
Owens addressed the comments in a column for Wales Online.
The 46-year-old Welshman, who is openly gay, believes that comments like Folau's can put people in a moment where it’s "enough to tip them over the edge, because there is a minority out there who give the impression that you cannot be who you truly are."
"We need people to understand and respect everyone for who they are, you don’t have to agree with or even like it, but let everyone live their own lives," writes Owens.
"When you say gay people are going to go to hell unless they repent their sins then it’s something totally different.
"Yes, you are entitled to your opinion but one should understand what that opinion can do to young and vulnerable people's lives in particular ones in a bad place dealing with their sexuality."
Owens also touched on his own personal struggles with his sexuality.
"It’s not a choice of being gay. I spent years and years trying not to be gay because I didn’t realise I was gay until I was about 19. It’s how you are born, I believe.
"When you have young people in particular struggling with their sexuality, like I was, becoming somebody that I didn’t want to be - becoming something that to me at the time was not normal in many many people's eyes, it was absolute hell in dealing with that myself personally," Owens continues.
"All that worry of if people would accept me made me suffer from mental health issues and depression that drove me to take my own life and within 20 minutes of losing my life, because of having the worry of becoming who I didn’t want to be and the worry of what people are going to say."
"I’ve accepted who I am, but it can affect young people going through those difficult times, believe me, as years ago I was one of them."
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Latest Comments
SCW really dislikes Eddie, doesn't he?
His words in 2019 before the RWC final that he now says should have resulted in Eddie's firing:
"Was Saturday’s sensational World Cup semi-final win over New Zealand England’s greatest ever performance? Yes, unquestionably, would be my answer."
So let's fire the coach one game later? Duh!
Go to commentsIreland have every right to back themselves for a win. But the key variable has little to do with recent record etc.
The reality is that Ireland are a settled team with tons of continuity, an established style, and a good depth chart, whereas NZ are fundamentally rebuilding. The questions are all about what Razor is doing and how far along he is in that program.
NZ are very close to really clicking. Against England all of the chatter is about how England could have closed out a win, but failed to do so. This has obscured the observation that NZ were by far the more creative and effective in attack, beyond the 3-1 try differential and disallowed tries. They gave away a lot of unnecessary penalties, and made many simple errors (including knock-ons and loose kicks). Those things are very fixable, and when they do so we are once again going to be staring at a formidable NZ team.
Last week we heard the England fans talking confidently about their chances against NZ, but England did not end up looking like the better team on the field or the scoreboard. The England defense was impressive enough, but still could not stop the tries.
Ireland certainly has a better chance, of course, but NZ is improving fast, and I would not be surprised at a convincing All Black win this week. It may turn on whether NZ can cut out the simple mistakes.
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