Image: Kane Evans. Credit Nine/ Instagram
Former NRL player and Fijian international Kane Evans has come out as gay, revealing the news in a on Channel Nine鈥檚 100% Footy, which also covered alcohol, substance addiction and battling suicidal thoughts.
Content warning for discussions about self harm.
Evans, who played more than 150 NRL matches for the Sydney Roosters, Parramatta Eels and New Zealand Warriors between 2014 and 2021, said he had been battling with his sexuality in private since his teenage years. Evans said that denying his sexuality from the age of 15 had weighed on him so much that, once his NRL career ended, he made taking his own life a personal goal.
鈥淚 had three goals in life 鈥� to play NRL, to buy my parents a house, and then I was going to top myself.鈥�
鈥淏ecause I was living in denial. From a young age, I knew that I鈥檓 gay but I went down every other avenue to build up these walls to be someone 鈥� to escape who I am.鈥�
Reflecting on the interview, Evans said: 鈥淚 still can鈥檛 believe that I鈥檓 here talking to you. This is definitely my worst nightmare.But I know if I surrender, its just going to be a start to a new life. I鈥檝e been fighting a war within since I was about 15 years old. And it鈥檚 not sustainable.”
In the interview, Evans explains how over the years people have attempted to blackmail him and use his sexuality against him.
Evans also talks about sleeping in parks and doing drugs “trying to ultimately pass away so I didn鈥檛 have to come to this”. The interview and decision to come out publicly comes after a stint in rehabilitation and more than four months of sobriety, which he celebrated on social media in May.
鈥淚鈥檝e carried [hiding my sexuality] around my whole life. I鈥檓 here today to show people that you don鈥檛 have to live like that. Even now I feel a bit more free, just by saying it out loud, I鈥檝e brought it to the light,” he says.
Evans is the second former male NRL player to publicly come out as gay, after former NSW State of Origin forward Ian Roberts more than 30 years ago. Evans said he hoped speaking publicly would assist others facing similar challenges.
鈥淏ut I know that there鈥檚 people who are struggling with the same struggle that I鈥檝e gone through. So I鈥檓 very blessed that I can come here and talk to you, and be able to save a life or two.鈥�
鈥淚鈥檓 very blessed that I鈥檓 facing my fears. I know some people that have done some gangster things, but I feel like this is up there. I鈥檓 a bit proud of myself and when I look in the mirror, I鈥檓 going to smile now, not have those bad thoughts.鈥�
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What a Great Shame that any Human Being should have had to go through allc of this. What a pity he had to wait until after his professional carreer as a Footballer had ended before he could be himself. What an indicment of Football – be it NRL, RU, Soccer, AFL that decent human beings could not be Honest with themselves and had to accept that those running these Football Codes were Viscious Homophobic Bastards for, no matter how they may reject it, it was/is these oh-so-great macho men who encouraged and enforced this Menta’ Abuse of their players.