Gareth Thomas

Gareth Thomas at a reception at 10 Downing Street in 2011

Gareth Thomas (born 1974) is a retired Welsh rugby player. In 2007 he became the first Welshman to win 100 international caps in rugby union. In 2010 he played for the Wales national rugby league team against Italy.

Thomas married in 2001; his divorce was finalised in 2009. That same year, in December 2009, Thomas publicly announced that he is gay, saying "I don't want to be known as a gay rugby player. I am a rugby player, first and foremost I am a man". He thus became the first openly gay professional rugby union player. Thomas also said, "What I choose to do when I close the door at home has nothing to do with what I have achieved in rugby".

Gareth Thomas with Jonathan Harbourne and Alex Davis, promoting London's bid to host the 2018 Gay Games

In September 2019, Thomas publicly disclosed that he is living with HIV, becoming one of the most prominent sportspeople in the world to do so. He subsequently presented a BBC documentary, Gareth Thomas: HIV and Me.

Gareth Thomas was ranked number 1 in the Pride Power List 2011 and 25 in the World Pride Power List 2012. He was given a Lifetime Achievement Award in the Pink List 2011.

In 2022, Thomas's former partner Ian Baum sued him for £150,000 in damages, alleging that Thomas had failed to disclose his HIV status. Thomas denied the allegations, stating that his ex-partner had never asked about his status. The case was settled in January 2023 for £75,000. Thomas described the settlement as a pragmatic financial decision and not an admission of liability, maintaining that "all the allegations against me are meritless".