Keegan Hirst ready to make step up to Super League
Tuesday 22 August 2017 11:22, UK
Eighteen months on from coming out, Keegan Hirst is starting to wonder if he is the only gay player in rugby league.
The revelation from the former Batley prop forward in August 2015 might have been expected to prompt other players to follow suit but none have done so far.
"There's not any that I know of," said Hirst. "I guess it's a really private thing. If you don't feel that you want anyone to know, it's up to that individual.
"I guess me doing it and it working out alright might help but, if you're not in a head space where you want to do that, you're not going to do it. And there's always the possibility that I'm the only one.
"I'm not surprised that there hasn't been any more but then I wouldn't be surprised if somebody did."
Sometimes the lads will moan if we finish at half past two or if it's a bit wet and I tell them they could be doing this at six o'clock at the top of a hill in Batley after you've been working all day.
The 28-year-old Hirst, a father of two who has made the step up to Super League with Wakefield after leaving part-timers Batley at the end of last season, was in big demand at the club's pre-season media day.
He featured prominently in the showbiz pages of the national newspapers following his friendship with Coronation Street actor Antony Cotton and appeared on Celebrity First Dates, but says it is now time to concentrate on his rugby.
"I get a few more interviews than some of the other lads but, other than that, it really has settled down," he said.
"Rugby is my priority. It's been pre-season and I've wanted to concentrate on trying to get this right so I've put all that on the back burner so I can focus on this."
Inspiration
Hirst, who has given up his job as a joiner to go full-time with Wakefield, may be a trailblazer off the pitch but he is treading an increasingly well-worn path from the Championship to Super League.
Alex Walmsley, another former Batley player, made a rapid transition to Super League with St Helens and Chris Hill won England honours within two years of switching from Leigh to Warrington.
Even closer to home, Hirst is drawing inspiration from the example of his new team-mates Liam Finn and Anthony England.
"The path has been laid for me to step up and have a good go," said Hirst, who spent 10 years as a part-time player with Batley, Hunslet, Dewsbury and Featherstone before getting his break.
"It was an ambition to play in Super League but I guess when you get to 25 or 26 you start to think it's passed me by. To get to 28, nearly 29, and get a chance, I jumped at it with both hands.
"I've been playing Championship for 10 years and I've learnt so much in eight weeks just because you have time to get down to the nitty-gritty of it all. It's tough because there is a bigger workload but it's very rewarding.
"I've gone from having three sessions a week to having five days a week and in that you can have four or five sessions a day."
Wakefield's new head of rugby John Kear, who has also made the move from Batley in the close season, has no doubt that Hirst can make the step up.
"He's a big lad for a start," said Kear. "One of the problems that was identified last year was the fact that the middle unit didn't have the size that was required but they've certainly got that now.
"Keegan is one of those. He's made steps from last year simply by being in a full-time environment and his first two trial games have been very positive."
Hirst still has a trade to fall back on if his move to Super League does not work out but in the meantime he is appreciating his time as a full-time player.
"Sometimes the lads will moan if we finish at half past two or if it's a bit wet and I tell them they could be doing this at six o'clock at the top of a hill in Batley after you've been working all day," he said.
"You certainly appreciate it a bit more. I'm hoping I don't have to go out and work in the cold for a few years, but I've got that safety net there in case."
