“It’s not really ‘a thing’, it’s not common for a male athlete to come out in sport, never mind professional rugby, and it’s probably something that I didn’t want to believe or accept myself either. 'They helped and guided me over the months that followed so that I felt more comfortable to come out to the group. “But, I spoke to Leo and Stuart last November and the support that I got from them straight away was unbelievable. “It affected me so much that I agonised over my future and contemplated walking away from rugby altogether because I just didn’t think I could come out while playing rugby. I struggled with coming out for a while and it was starting to impact on me and my happiness so it was the right decision. “I came out to my teammates in January and I was obviously pretty nervous about doing so,” McCarthy, who rejoined Leinster from Munster last summer after two years with the Reds, told Leinster's website. McCarthy informed Leinster coaches Leo Cullen and Stuart Lancaster last November, and his team-mates in January, and has now spoken publicly about his sexuality for the first time. Leinster scrum-half Nick McCarthy has publicly come out as gay, revealing that he thought he would have to quit rugby before deciding to tell his coaches and colleagues instead.
