Former female rugby star announces she is gay, aged 46

In a highly emotional series of Tweets, she said: 'Please don't judge me I am gay.

'Sorry it took me 30 years to say that.

'I have always wanted to tell the world that I'm gay. But I didn't want to upset my parents x'

The posts sparked a wave of overwhelming support online - garnering more than 2,000 likes, and a flurry of support from social media users and sports stars.

Popular Welsh rugby referee Nigel Owens MBE, who himself came out as gay in 2007, responded: 'Lots of love x'

m only sorry that you felt you couldn’t say this until now. Society has changed but we have a long way to go. Here’s to the next 30 years being fully yourself,” one person replied.

Another commented: “What’s to judge? Delighted that you feel ready to share this with the world. Its who you are! It changes nothing because its something that you’ve clearly felt and known for at least 30 years! No, really, this is fantastic. I am very happy for you!”

DID YOU KNOW? The Welsh legend was the first woman to compete in three different sports at the Commonwealth Games.

He is one of the greatest rugby players in the history of the UK, captaining the Welsh international side as well as the British and Irish Lions during his career.

Thomas publicly came out in 2009 and has since described his experience as a secretly gay player, revealing how the social pressure and stereotypes pose a significant challenge for many athletes today.

"It was one of my regrets I didn't come out while I was a rugby player."

Former Harlequins second row Simon Miall on rugby, marriage and why he flew from New York to support this weekend's Pride match.

Stanley became the first openly gay Rugby Union and Sevens player in the UK. The former Saracens full-back also played with England in the World Rugby Sevens Series from 2013 to 2015 but has been sidelined from the sport due to a recurring injury.

While most of the athletes on this list have earned a name on the pitch, Louisa Wall has become a prominent politician in New Zealand after completing a successful rugby career. The former Black Fern and Silver Fern was the driving force behind the legalization of same-sex marriage in New Zealand, claiming that the passing of the bill felt like winning the Rugby World Cup.

Although he never played rugby at a professional level, Mark Bingham has become an iconic figure for gay rugby players and sportspeople around the world. Known for his heroics during the September 11 attacks, Bingham was a robust second-row man who played for the gay-inclusive San Francisco Fog RFC.

The Mark Kendall Bingham Memorial Tournament, simply known as the Bingham Cup, is a biennial gay rugby union tournament which was held for the first time in 2002. Named after the former rugby player, the Bingham Cup has become a symbolic event that has been hosted in multiple cities around the globe.