Rugby star Reece Walsh claps back at anti-gay abuse after wearing nail polish

A straight rugby player faced homophobic abuse after wearing nail polish during a game.

Fullback Reece Walsh faced a barrage of slurs from the crowd at the Hill Dickinson Stadium, in Liverpool, after he was temporarily side-lined during Australia’s clash with England on Saturday (1 November).

Journalist Dean Ritchie, who was at the rugby league match, said the abuse was “horrendous” and contained “vile insults no player should have to endure”.

The Sydney Morning Herald’s Michael Chammas, who was also covering the game, said the chants specifically targeted the Brisbane Broncos star for wearing nail polish.

“There was a homophobic slur, he was called a b*****d, and they started bagging him around his nails and his nail polish,” he said.

Walsh didn’t let the abuse get to him and even made a passing comment towards one of the fans. “He smiled and turned around, and said to one of the guys who dished out the homophobic slur: ‘Are you still a virgin?'” Chammas added.

Australia won the match 14-4.

Walsh, who has a child with former girlfriend Freda Puru, has faced similar abuse in the past.

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He was targeted last year after sharing a photo on Instagram of himself with pink nails and rumours swirled that incoming head coach Michael Maguire planned to ban Broncos players from wearing nail polish. The stories were later found to be inaccurate.

Other sports stars, including Chicago Bears quarterback Caleb Williams, have also faced abuse for painting their nails.

In July, Williams, who has been dating his high-school sweetheart Alina Thyregod for two years, faced homophobic comments from fans who suggested he “has to like men”. He later painted his nails again, in honour of an LGBTQ+ section of a youth suicide prevention hotline which was forced to close under pressure from president Donald Trump.

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