Olympic rugby stars swap sweaty post-match shorts to show good sportsmanship
Souvenir, please!
The Summer Olympics are the greatest international event in the world. Every four years, more than 11,000 athletes from 206 countries gather to compete against each other in sports and share cultures and traditions in life.
Or in the case of two rugby stars, swap shorts!
Following their match on Saturday, U.S. Rugby forward Steve Tomasin and Argentina winger Rodrigo Isgro met at midfield and exchanged their drawers. Though Argentina defeated the U.S. 19-0, the gesture ensured we were all winners.
How about we take this to the next level?
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Forget game jerseys. Used shorts are the ultimate souvenir!
Adding to the aesthetic, Tomasin was wearing red, white and blue briefs. The California native always has the Olympic rings tattooed on his left thigh.
USA! USA! USA!
Reuters doing the lords work pic.twitter.com/dfHFIe5wQY— rainygay (@rainygay1) July 28, 2024
Like most contact sports, there is an inherent homoeroticism to rugby, which involves burly lads throwing one another to the ground and trying to bulldoze their way across the field, wrapping up their broad-shouldered opponents in the process.
Leading into the Games, Spain’s national rugby team infiltrated our TikTok feeds with shirtless locker room shenanigans that could knock anybody to the ground. Player Manuel Mora showing off his flamenco moves were an immediate KO!
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While rugby players are known for their toughness and physicality, many embrace their inner-sex appeal. Just last week, we covered how South African rugby star Damian Willemse is a proud fashionista who doesn’t give AF if trolls think he’s gay.
Willemse, one of multiple Gen Z sports figures who proudly bends gender norms, expresses himself with fashion forward lewks and brightly colored nails. When sharing photos from a recent photoshoot with designer Rich Mnisi, Willemse expressed joy over his more flamboyant attire.
“Playing dress up with good company,” he wrote.
Rather than vociferously denounce ignorant remarks about his orientation, Willemse ignores the haters (he’s rumored to be dating model Zoe Doyle).
Earlier this year, former rugby player Tom Garrett addressed a video that shows him pleasuring another teammate with a simply declaration: “Who cares!”
“It’s from seven years ago, which obviously doesn’t change the fact that what happened, happened,” said the 29-year-old. “We we were on holiday and it got a bit messy and we thought it would be funny to… yeah.”
Pro rugby coach Anthony Seibold had a similar reaction when recalling that time he and five of his teammates posed for a gay magazine in London. “It wasn’t like we were naked, we had a towel around our waists. I was one of them,” he said about the (ahem) cheeky experience.
Even though there aren’t an out rugby players at the Olympics, a true symbol of LGBTQ+ support shined over the weekend at the rugby sevens tournament. Antoine Dupont, the captain of the France national team, helped his country win gold with two successful tries in a stunning upset victory over Fiji. (Better yet, the win came in front of their home crowd.)
We couldn’t be happier for the reigning European Cup Player of the Year. During Pride Month, Dupont became our new favorite hunky sports ally when he affirmed his support for queer people in an interview.
In his eyes, homophobia is a no-go.
“Homophobia is not an opinion, but an offense,” he said, before going one step further. “And from now on, if a player makes homophobic remarks on the pitch, I think I would stop the match. Because things have to change.”
The greatest rugby player of all time. pic.twitter.com/qJ4sRcZ4Dk— Squidge Rugby (@SquidgeRugby) July 27, 2024
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Though Team USA finished eighth, Tomasin shined in an early match Thursday against Uruguay, going a perfect 4-for-4 on conversions.
On Sunday, he reflected on his Olympic journey. “Wearing this jersey has been the biggest honor of my life,” he wrote. “To do so in the Olympics brings unspeakable pride. Thank you to everyone home supporting.”
Isgro, who played in his first Olympics, also seemed to be enjoying himself. The delicious slab of Argentinian beef hooked up with Adidas for a special Olympics partnership.
Widely regarded as the queerest sporting event in the world, the Olympics are living up to the hype this year. Paris 2024 has been full of seductive gay imagery, from see-through swimsuits to bulging trunks.
what the hell is even happening at the olympics??? pic.twitter.com/WTyxL4EV5y— angèle (@angelexcx) July 28, 2024
Now, after seeing Tomasin and Isgro trade their sweaty shorts, we could jump in the water for a cooldown, too!
The Olympic Opening Ceremony won’t turn your kids gay, but the post-game rugby short swap might. https://t.co/DZjoLoietB— Lexi LaFleur Brown (@lexilafleur) July 29, 2024
I should be able to smell this picture. Why can’t I smell this. @Reuters https://t.co/FFKQUXvgVT— J (@nudithism) July 28, 2024
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