Rugby Legend Who Captained Wales to Grand Slam Victory, Named Most Influential Gay Person in the UK, Sports Book of the Year Author With ‘Proud’ & Regular TV Guest on ‘Celebrity Big Brother’, ‘Dancing On Ice’ & ‘The Jump’
Gareth Thomas CBE is one of Wales’ most celebrated rugby players and a trailblazing advocate for LGBT rights and HIV awareness. Known for his versatility in both Rugby Union and Rugby League, Gareth remains the second-highest try scorer for Wales and a former captain of both his national team and the British & Irish Lions. Since retiring, he has become a powerful voice for equality, openly sharing his journey as a gay man in sport and challenging the stigma around HIV. Today, Gareth inspires audiences worldwide with his courage, humour and determination to break barriers on and off the pitch.
Gareth enjoyed a decorated rugby career, earning 100 caps for Wales and ranking as the second-highest try scorer in the nation’s history. He captained Wales to their iconic 2005 Grand Slam victory and also led the British & Irish Lions under Sir Clive Woodward, achievements that cemented his reputation as one of the sport’s most respected leaders. Highlights of his international career include a hat-trick of tries in the 1995 World Cup and reaching his century of caps during the 2007 tournament.
In 2009, Gareth made history by publicly coming out, becoming the first professional rugby union player to do so. His openness marked a pivotal moment for representation in sport and inspired countless others to embrace authenticity. Beyond rugby, Gareth has become a leading advocate for diversity, inclusion and health, dedicating himself to breaking the stigma surrounding HIV. His contributions have been recognised with accolades such as Stonewall’s Hero of the Year, being named the UK’s Most Influential Gay Person by The Independent, and receiving a CBE in 2020 for services to sport and health. In 2024, he was further honoured with a Doctor of Science from Queen Mary University of London in recognition of his advocacy.
Gareth is the author of ‘Proud’, his candid autobiography that details both his sporting triumphs and personal journey, from international rugby success to becoming a global advocate for LGBT rights and HIV awareness. The book was awarded Sports Book of the Year in 2015 for its powerful honesty and impact. Alongside his writing, Gareth has fronted documentaries such as ‘Gareth Thomas: HIV and Me’, which shed light on the realities of living with HIV and aimed to challenge stigma. Through both his publications and media work, Gareth has inspired audiences with his resilience and commitment to change.
Why Hire Gareth Thomas?
Audiences book Gareth for his rare ability to unite sporting excellence with a powerful message of authenticity, resilience and equality. As a record-breaking rugby international, his leadership on the pitch was matched by his courage in transforming conversations about representation in sport. He has since become a prominent campaigner, challenging stigma around HIV through high-profile initiatives, documentaries and his impactful TEDx talk “How to Tackle the Stigma of Living with HIV“.
Recognised with honours including a CBE and Doctor of Science, Gareth is respected not only as a sporting legend but also as a humanitarian. His openness, humour and humility resonate with audiences across business, education and sport, making his talks both moving and motivational. Whether reflecting on overcoming adversity, breaking barriers or building inclusive cultures, Gareth leaves audiences inspired to embrace diversity and champion equality in their own lives and organisations.
To book Gareth to speak at your event, call SpeakOut on +44 (0) 20 8914 8966. Alternatively, complete our contact form to begin your enquiry.
- VIDEOS
- TESTIMONIALS
- SPEAKING TOPICS
- COSTS
“Gareth – Thank you very much for today’s event. You shared your story in such a wonderful way which was really inspiring. The number of questions and positive comments afterwards shows the event was well received which we are really pleased about. Many thanks for being such an engaging speaker!” – Alex, Safeguarding Risks Consultant, Zurich
“The feedback has been absolutely incredible! Everyone loved it and really appreciated Gareth’s openness and vulnerability. It’s gone down as one of the best guest speakers we’ve had and we’ve had many throughout the years!” – Polly, Senior Engagement, Diversity & Inclusion Advisor, Softcat Plc
“We had 50+ messages of thanks and gratitude in the Teams call chat space and we have had individuals from across the business emailing directly thanking us for the session and for Gareth being so open and honest. Please if you can, pass on our heartfelt thank you to Gareth for his time and effort for today’s call. The emotionally open, honest and raw state with which he spoke about his journey has really struck a chord with many of our colleagues and we are so grateful to him for his time today to help celebrate Pride and to answer questions from colleagues. Thank you to you both for helping to facilitate the call too, very much a success all around!” – Adam, Internal Communications Manager, Pennon
“I thought I would just let you know that our event was a huge success! Gareth was a fantastic speaker and an all-round lovely guy. The feedback from my colleagues was all very positive, one even said that he was the best speaker we have ever had! Now the challenge is to find someone just as good for our November event!” – Cleo Phillips – PGIM Real Estate
“Gareth was amazing yesterday, such a lovely friendly guy, and his talk was extremely emotional and powerful. We have had some fantastic feedback. Please pass on my thanks to Gareth, it was great to have him here taking part in our Pride events for 2019.” – Jennie, Shop Direct
“Thanks so much for the suggestion – he is doing amazingly with media.” – Josh, Head of Regions, Broadcast Revolution
“He was amazing! He had everyone in tears. Wonderful feedback – I will forward on some of the comments from our webcast in the next few days so that you and he can see them.” – Sian, Senior Manager, Novartis
“No it all went incredibly! We have had the most overwhelmingly great response!” – Rebecca, HR Advisor, Danone plc
“As part of a three-day event celebrating the best of British cultural journalism, Newsworks hired Gareth Thomas as a speaker as part of a live podcast recording with The Daily Mail’s Bryony Gordon. Gareth was very honest and inspiring; he opened up about tough subjects such as mental health struggles surrounding homophobia and toxic masculinity that still exists in sport and the stigma around people living with HIV. His messaging will make a difference to the audience in the room and those who will listen to the recording. Gareth was also such a delight with all the staff and left a great and lasting impression.” – Coral, Media Executive, Newsworks
“I just wanted to drop a note to say thanks for arranging Gareth Thomas last week. The feedback was really positive from staff and his story was very inspiring.” – Irish Rugby Football Union
“I just want to thank you for helping organise the talk with Gareth. It was incredible. He spoke with such honesty and you could clearly tell it was the real him. It’s the best turn out we’ve had for a talk as well and the feedback has been amazing. Please do send on our thanks to Gareth – we would love to have him back!” – Rowena, Canopius
“The speech from Gareth went fantastically well and he responded to the questions brilliantly and there were plenty. He is such a lovely and warm person considering his life success and stardom. It was a real pleasure to be able to meet him. Thank you for all your assistance with arranging Gareth’s attendance, it made our conference really special and made all the stress in the preparation worth it.” – Tracy Ceraldi, KeolisAmey Docklands Ltd
‘It really was an amazing event, you guys and the BRG are amazing, impressive and courageous. Both Kellie and Gareth were so open and honest, we are really priveledged to have had them visit the office and share. Thank you so much.’ – CMAS
‘My own personal take away was Gareth describing ‘how faster you can run, how higher you can jump’ when the burden had been lifted after he came out.’ – CMAS
- Diversity and inclusion
- Playing Top-Level Sport
- Effective Leadership & Teamwork
- LGBT Representation in Professional Environments
- Overcoming adversity
- The stigma of homosexuality within the sports industry
- Captaining a National Side
The cost of hiring Gareth Thomas depends on your event format, location, duration and any travel requirements. For an accurate and tailored quote, please contact a SpeakOut booking agent for expert guidance.