Nigel Owens is a legend in the world of rugby, which is an unusual thing to say of somebody who hasn’t risen to fame as a player.

As probably the world’s most respected rugby referee, and the man who took control of the last Rugby World Cup final, his management of players almost twice his size, his ability to marshal and boss the field of play, and the humour he brings to his role, have earned him unparalleled admiration in the world of rugby and beyond.

But as we heard on Today with Sean O’Rourke, the supreme confidence we all take for granted from Nigel Owens came after a long struggle to deal with who he was: a gay man, and somebody who experienced bullying as a child.

Nowadays, he is patron of anti-bullying charity, Bullies Out, and he has a strong message for anybody struggling, as he did, in their teens and 20s.

"If anybody tells you that rugby is not a safe environment for you to be who you are, then I would tell them that’s not true. I’ve done it, Gareth Thomas has done it, Sam Stanley has done it….. There will be a minority who don’t like you, for whatever reason, but that is not just in rugby, that is in all sports, society, and everyday life.

Gareth Thomas, former Welsh international, did come out as a gay man, but only after retiring, a path similarly followed by basket-baller John Amaechi and footballer Justin Fashanu, who later took his own life. Nigel attempted the same when he was just 24, a decision he profoundly regrets, particularly because of the devastating effect it had on his parents. But are there others playing professional sports who fear acknowledging their sexuality publicly?

"There are a lot of rugby players who are bisexual and gay, and I know quite a few of them."

Obviously, each individual makes his or her own decision as to when, or if, they acknowledge who they are publicly. But Nigel was keen to reassure young people that the world will be a more accepting place than they might imagine.

"Rugby is an environment where you can be yourself. I have proven that at the very top of the game to the very grassroots, the community end of the game…. I couldn’t accept who I was until I was around 26, 27 years of age. There’s a lot of people playing in their 20s who are fighting against this themselves. If they were anything like me, they are becoming somebody they don’t want to become, for whatever reason."

And he concluded.

“Rugby will accept you because of the great sport that it is. And the great people that are in the sport of rugby.”

To listen to the full interview, click here.

Photo Credit Anthony Au-Yeung/Getty Images