Keegan Hirst
 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Personal information | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Born | 13 February 1988 Batley, West Yorkshire, England | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Height | 6 ft 5 in (1.96 m) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Weight | 19 st 3 lb (122 kg) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Playing information | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Position | Prop | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
As of 20 October 2019 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Keegan Hirst (born 13 February 1988) is a professional rugby league footballer who plays as a prop for Halifax in the Betfred Championship.
He played for the Hunslet Hawks in 2008 National League Two, and the Dewsbury Rams in 2009 Championship 1 and the Championship. Hirst also played for the Batley Bulldogs in two separate spells and for Featherstone Rovers in the Championship. He played for Wakefield Trinity in the Super League, and spent time on loan from Wakefield at Dewsbury and Halifax in the second tier.
In 2015 he became the second British professional rugby footballer to come out as gay.
Background
Hirst was born in Batley, West Yorkshire, England.
Playing career
Hirst began his career as an academy player at Bradford Bulls before joining Hunslet Hawks in 2008.[3] After a season with the Hunslet Hawks, Hirst moved to Dewsbury Rams for two seasons and then moved to Batley Bulldogs for the 2012 season.[4] In 2013 he moved to Featherstone Rovers but returned to Batley, first on loan and then on a permanent move in 2014.[5]
In August 2016 Hirst signed a deal with Wakefield Trinity to play for the Super League side from 2017.[6] Hirst made his Super League début in the round 6 match of Super League XXII against Leigh Centurions.[7]
In popular culture
In 2016 Hirst was a dater on Channel 4's dating show First Dates, also in 2016 Hirst took part in W's Celebrity Haunted Hotel.
Personal life
Hirst is divorced with two children.[8] In an interview with the Sunday Mirror in August 2015 he came out as gay,[8] becoming the first British professional rugby league player to do so.[9]
See also
- Ian Roberts - first openly gay rugby league player
- Gareth Thomas - first openly gay rugby union player
References
- ^ loverugbyleague
- ^ Rugby League Project
- ^ "How rugby star Keegan Hirst's coming out statement helps to challenge gay stereotypes". Telegraph & Argus. 25 August 2015. Retrieved 31 August 2015.
- ^ "Roughyeds 2009". Oldham Evening Chronicle. 11 March 2009. Retrieved 31 August 2015.
- ^ "Rovers prop Hirst is back at Batley". Pontefract and Castleford Express. 21 November 2014. Retrieved 31 August 2015.
- ^ "Keegan Hirst: Batley Bulldogs prop agrees move to Wakefield Wildcats". BBC Sport. 11 August 2016. Retrieved 26 September 2016.
- ^ "Wakefield Trinity 28 Leigh Centurions 24: Bish' clocks up a ton as Trinity hit back to win". Yorkshire Evening Post. 23 March 2017. Retrieved 24 March 2017.
- ^ a b "Rugby League star Keegan Hirst becomes first Brit player to come out as gay". Sunday Mirror. 15 August 2015. Retrieved 31 August 2015.
- ^ "Keegan Hirst steps on to field as Britain's first rugby league star to come out as gay". The Guardian. 16 August 2015. Retrieved 31 August 2015.