The first openly gay All Black has got married

Find your local Greene King and settle in for the 2025 Six Nations!

The 45-year-old, who became the first openly gay player in New Zealand’s rugby history, married his partner Ben Thomson in a stunning ceremony that made headlines for all the right reasons.

The couple shared the joyous news in an exclusive feature with Woman’s Day on 15 January, giving fans a glimpse into their unforgettable celebration.

Helicopters and History: A Grand Entrance
The wedding took place at The Flaxmill in Oxford, New Zealand, and kicked off in dramatic fashion with the newlyweds arriving by helicopter. And this wasn’t just any pilot – the legendary Richie McCaw, Johnstone’s former All Blacks teammate, took the controls.

“Richie did this really steep loop around the property, and I lost my stomach a bit,” Thomson revealed to the magazine. “Then he landed, and we got out. Our parents congratulated us, people swarmed to take photos, then the wedding kind of kicked off from there.”

A Private Moment on a Mountain Top
While the couple’s arrival was a spectacle, the vows themselves were a deeply intimate affair. Eschewing a traditional ceremony, Johnstone and Thomson shared their romantic exchange on top of a mountain at Castle Hill Station.

“We had a day with just the two of us,” said Thomson. “Photographers videoed and photographed us getting ready together in a hotel. Then we went out to Castle Hill Station and held our ceremony on top of a mountain. It was literally just us, the two photographers, and the videographer on that hill… we didn’t even have a celebrant.”

Johnstone echoed the sentiment, explaining: “We also thought it should be a moment just for us. That was really special because we just got to enjoy the day together.”

Campbell Johnstone: A Rugby Trailblazer
Johnstone’s rugby journey is as remarkable as his personal one. A prop by trade, he represented the All Blacks in 2005, earning three Test caps during that season. Known for his strength and technique in the scrum, he also had an illustrious domestic career, playing for Canterbury in the NPC and the Crusaders in Super Rugby.

Though his time in the black jersey was brief, Johnstone’s legacy extends far beyond the field. In 2023, he publicly came out as gay, shattering stereotypes and earning widespread respect as a role model for inclusivity in sport.

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.

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.

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.

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.

Not a professional but deserves a special mention. Mark, a gay rugby fan and sportsman, was a passenger on Flight 93 on September 11th, 2001.

Bingham is widely credited with helping prevent further deaths when he helped lead a passenger revolt against hijackers who had seized control of the plane and begun to direct it towards a target in Washington DC.

Rushing the cockpit and risking their own lives, the passengers successfully overthrew the hijackers and managed to bring down the plane in a field.

In the storied history of Rugby's Greatest Championship, exceptional leaders have emerged—warriors of various forms, be they agile half-backs, towering second rows, or fearless flankers.

Our latest quiz invites you to identify those who have captained their nations to Guinness Six Nations glory. It's worth noting that in certain instances, there may be multiple captains from the same year due to factors such as injuries and rotation.

Surnames only will be accepted.