Former NRL forward Kane Evans publicly comes out as gay

Former rugby league forward Kane Evans has publicly come out as gay, revealing he endured a two-decade internal battle with his sexuality that led to substance abuse, homelessness, and suicidal thoughts. The 34-year-old, who played 154 NRL games for the Sydney Roosters, Parramatta Eels, and New Zealand Warriors before a stint with Hull FC in England, made the emotional disclosure in an interview on Channel Nine's "100 Footy" program that aired on Monday, June 8, 2026.

Evans described a life spent in denial since he was 15, where his personal goals were to play professional rugby league, buy his parents a house, and then take his own life. He said he built walls around his identity to escape who he was, a struggle that became unsustainable after his playing career ended. Evans recounted sleeping in parks, battling drug addiction, and trying to "ultimately pass away" to avoid confronting his truth.

His path to recovery began with intervention from former NRL player Joe Galuvao, who works with the Rugby League Players Association's past players program. Galuvao found Evans while he was homeless and told him he deserved to live a good life and deserved healing. That conversation...