Fans have rediscovered Top Gear playing car rugby, and it's brilliant

Thursday, 15 December 2022 at 14:00

byRugby Rucker

Jeremy Clarkson and James May play car rugby using Kia Cee'ds and Kia Sportages at Twickenham Stadium and the Stig as a referee in a Vauxhall Astra Police car.

Reacting to the video, one fan wrote: "I love how rugby is more violent than football, but car football is more violent than car rugby."

Another commented: "That stadium could have been sold out for this.:

A third fan said: "This is honestly one of the best things I have ever seen. One more thing to add to my list if I ever win the lottery."

Another wrote: "I miss those old times being funny and being Jeremy Clarkson"

Car Rugby at Twickenham (First Half) | Top Gear

Car Rugby at Twickenham | Part 2 | Top Gear

Five rugby lads who are out and proud – including Exeter Chiefs lock

In honour of Pride month, RUCK wanted to celebrate five out and proud rugby stars. Their focus? How we can collectively align to take action that drives change on and off the pitch.

1. Nigel Owens

All fans, players, and anyone who knows anything about rugby will know the name, Nigel Owens. Besides having the record for most test matches refereed, Owens has earned a reputation as one of the top rugby referees around the world.

The Welshman is also a TV personality and a devoted activist for the LGBT cause, winning “Gay Sports Personality of the Decade” at the Stonewall awards ceremony in London back in 2015.

Referee, Nigel Owens during the Heineken Champions Cup Final Match between Exeter Chiefs and Racing 92 at Ashton Gate, Bristol on the 17 Oct. PHOTO: Phil Mingo/PPAUK

"It's such a big taboo to be gay in my line of work, I had to think very hard about it because I didn't want to jeopardise my career," he confessed.

"Coming out was very difficult and I tried to live with who I really was for years. I knew I was 'different' from my late teens, but I was just living a lie."

Refereeing in as sport like rugby also hindered his decision.

"When I became a referee, it became clear that there was nobody in the sport who was gay.

"The rugby world is very heterosexual and masculine, and this made things difficult.

"Although that’s not to say that the sport is openly homophobic. It was just never an environment where I felt like I could be myself."

2. Gareth Thomas

The Wales legend 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.

Jamie Heaslip, Bryan Habana and Gareth Thomas present for Chanel 4 during the Heineken Champions Cup Match between Bath Rugby and Toulouse on 13th October 2018 at Recreation Ground, Bath, Somerset - PHOTO: Tom Sandberg/PPAUK

3. Craig Maxwell-Keys

Maxwell-Keys, who took charge of the 2020 Gallagher Premiership final, eventually decided the time was right to reveal his sexuality to colleagues at Twickenham as well as his local club, Lichfield RFC in 2019.

Now based in Cheltenham, he aims to continue moving up the referees' pecking order - and his experiences since coming out have indicated that sexuality will be no barrier to that.

Referee, Craig Maxwell-Keys during the Gallagher Premiership Rugby Match between Bath Rugby and Gloucester Rugby at the Recreation Ground on 22 Sep. Photo: Phil Mingo/PPAUK/Gallagher

4. Sam Stanley

England Sevens international Sam Stanley became the first English professional rugby union player to publicly come out as gay in August 2015.

Now 26, the former Saracens back played in five Sevens World Series tournaments for England and belongs to one of the sport's most famous families.

5. Jack Dunne

Out pro rugby player Jack Dunne will have a new home next season. The Exeter Chiefs, who play in rugby union’s top division, Premiership Rugby, recently signed the promising young rugger from Leinster, a club in Ireland.

Last year, Dunne publicly came out as bisexual in an interview with the Independent, talking about his desire to be a role model for LGBTQ kids. That’s an impressive goal for any 22 year old.

Nik Simon

@Nik_Simon88

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‘I was 18 when I first kissed a guy. I waited for the rugby season to end before I came out because I was worried how people would react. It was grand’. Interview with Exeter-bound Jack Dunne, who wants to normalise rugby’s conversations around sexuality mol.im/a/10840799