Richard | Massey

“So, my name is Richard, and I call Massey my home. So, the kindness that I’ve been offered would be I joined the Falcons, which is the only gay inclusive rugby team in Auckland, and it was just like, being joined in a big family, in a very LGBT-inclusive sports team.

So, it changed me a lot, because I was in the closet, and I was not open to people about my sexual orientation, and people there was so kind to me, and opened a new world, because it’s just something that I’ve never thought about I would join, and everyone was so friendly and nice to me. So, it’s kind of like a new experience for me, at the same time and it is something that I’ve never tried in the past, but because of the kindness and generosity that I’ve been offered, I was brave enough and bold enough to join the team, and start playing rugby, which is something that an Asian would never think about. 

I grew up in China. I’m not from a big city like Shanghai or Beijing or Guangzhou, the place that everyone knows. So I’m from one of the south-eastern capital cities called Nanchang. It’s like a traditional conservative city with lots of history, like political history or kind of like, war history as well. So it’s not a big city, not like Shanghai, because they are a modern city, but because I’m from this sort of town it creates a little bit different thinking of myself as well. So I grew up in just a general family like, only kids. I am the only kid in my family. So, in my generation I’ve been spoiled, and I’m just the diamond in the family that shine all the time. So, my parents are working in a business, and doing sales, and my mum is an office lady, and there is nothing really interesting in my life when I was a kid. So, after I come to Auckland, I start opening up and start getting to see a lot of other people, and kind of open up my own colour, and that’s how I find myself, who I am, and I do love who I am. So, it is quite interesting, the journey that I’ve been on in New Zealand, and I appreciate what I’ve got, my friends and my supports here. 

It’s more about the perception, like how people see the rainbow, I am gay, and I’m open to everyone about it, but discrimination is still out there. So, I always feel like we still need to open it up, because generosity from everyone is good, and it’s really important that we see, because we are not different people, we are just a human. Being human, you shouldn’t be judged because of your colour or your sexual orientation. So, I think generosity is, I will say it should be from everyone, not just a certain family or certain people. I think we still need to promote and speak out for our self, and say, look this is me, this is who I am, and there is nothing different or wrong with me. 

My team? Oh, my god, it’s a free ad marketing. So the New Zealand Falcons is the only gay-inclusive rugby team in Auckland, and we currently, because it’s the summer season, do like touch rugby, and we are playing in Victoria Park every Monday, and we do training in Western Springs, which is the Ponsonby rugby field on Thursday night at this stage, but during the season next year, we do training on Wednesday night, and then we play the game, with the senior president. It hasn’t been confirmed, but that’s what we generally do. The senior president grade rugby team, across Auckland. So, we are rugby union grade. It’s different form rugby league. Some people get confused about it. But it’s more about because we are gay-inclusive, so we have heterosexual, homosexual, which means the gay people in our team, well it’s fantastic that you won’t be judged as who or where you’re from. Like, even I’m Asian, I’m still playing it. I have never played rugby before. After I joined the team, I start learning how to play rugby, and it just is something that I’ve never thought about in my life I would try, but now I’m doing it. So I think it’s about your like, support to the rainbow community, as well, because you’re showing this sport is for everyone. It’s not just for certain people. You don’t need to be muscly, or you don’t need to be heterosexual, obviously to play the sport, we are just having fun. We have the social time. We have fun time. We have happy time. This is just a time for us to play the sport, and focus on the rugby ball. That’s it.

This is the time to share your story, and I think I would love to share my story in terms of my identity, and because humanity is about how you think about society. That’s from what I understand, and I will love to share my side of the story in terms of my community as well, being gay, we need to speak out more often about our rights and being Asian I still need to speak on my rights as well. So, um I think I’m, I’m just a shiny person that’s been all over the place, so want to share my story and not success, but kind of like, being an outspoken person that lets people know that’s who I am, and where I’m from.”