Keegan Hirst was a talented professional rugby player, who forged his success playing for teams such as Batley Bulldogs, Halifax and Dewsbury Rams. Back in 2015, Keegan made headlines after he announced to the Sunday Mirror that he was coming out as gay, as he was the first gay British professional rugby league player. Since then, Keegan has dedicated his platforms to spreading LGBT+ acceptance and empowering men to have self-confidence no matter their sexual orientation. When looking to hire a passionate LGBT speaker who will share their journey to acceptance, don’t hesitate in booking Keegan Hirst today.
Having enjoyed 12 years of rugby, Keegan began his career training as an academy player for Bradford Bulls. He later made his debut playing for Hunslet Hawks in 2008, before moving on to play with the Dewsbury Rams. Keegan also spent time playing for the Batley Bulldogs and the Featherstone Rovers, before making his Super League debut against Leigh Centurions with Wakefield Trinity. Keegan has also spent time signed to the Halifax rugby team, the team from which he made his decision to retire in October 2020. Over the course of his career, Keegan delivered a multitude of impressive sporting performances, finishing his career having scored 31 tries and 124 points.
During his illustrious career, Keegan announced in an interview with the Sunday Mirror that he was gay. This propelled Keegan into the limelight, as he was the first active player to announce they were gay. Taking immense courage, Keegan no longer wanted to hide his true emotions, after years of trying to ‘bury’, ‘ignore’ and ‘hide’ his sexuality. Now a true role model and beacon of hope for others struggling with their identity, Keegan is also passionate about spreading self-confidence. Since coming out, Keegan has appeared on Channel 4’s First Dates in a same-sex couple, and appeared in Attitude magazine – claiming the Editor’s Special Award at the 2015 Attitude Awards for his story.
Now available to hire as passionate sports or LGBT+ speaker, Keegan shares his journey to being comfortable with his identity. Sharing his journey to coming out, Keegan is both inspiring and empowering, encouraging other people to come out, even if they are in an industry where it is not stereotypically accepted. Having delivered the TEDx talk A Talk About Hope, in which he discusses the challenges he faced with his identity, Keegan is a seasoned speaker. When looking for a speaker who will share what it was like coming out in a male-dominated environment and the struggles he faced along the way, book Keegan Hirst today to feel empowered.