Ian Roberts

Gay rugby icon, Ian Rorts, walked on red carpet at the LA premiere of Superman Returns which he plays one of Lex Luthor's henchmen. Sydney's very own man of steel has announced he is heading to L.A. to crash tackle Hollywood. "Some very high calibre agents asked about me over there and that's a real buzz. That's why I am moving. What's the worst thing that can happen? At least I can come out saying `What a ride'.''

Ian and fellow Aussie actor Vince Stone celebrated with the cast at the Beverly Hills mega-mansion of Superman Returns producer John Peters. Roberts said "I said to Vince `My god, we are both from Redfern, what are we doing here?'' [source]


In 1995 Ian made history by becoming the first Australian sportsman to openly declare himself gay. This courageous move surprised many, both because Ian did not fit many stereotypes of what a gay man acted like. Sadly, Ian remains the only professional Australian gay sportsmen (and one of very few globally) courageous enough to be open about himself while playing his sport. He remains an inspiration to young men all over the world who see in him a brave, tough role model who stands against the clichés of what gay men can be. .. You're rock Ian!