It wasn’t a Pride party, it wasn’t a music festival, and it certainly wasn’t a Grindr ad shoot—but it may as well have been.
Two strapping rugby stars, Jack Willis and Blair Kinghorn, decided that after sweating their way through one of the year’s most intense matches, the only thing left to do was celebrate with a good old-fashioned lip-lock. And not some European cheek-peck, either. This was a kiss-kiss. Right on the mouth.
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The moment exploded online, immortalized in a viral photo and captioned simply yet romantically by CANAL+ Sport:
“Love is in the air 🫶.”
In the snap, both men are shirtless—obviously—and clearly basking in more than just post-match adrenaline. They’d just helped Toulouse clinch a thrilling 39–33 win over Bordeaux Bègles, securing the club’s third straight Top 14 title. But while that scoreboard lit up, the internet lit up even brighter.
Rugby fans, queer sports lovers, and general admirers of hot guys doing tender things all collectively lost it. Suddenly, a sweaty locker room smooch became a cultural reset.
Let’s be honest: rugby has always flirted with homoeroticism. It’s half sport, half slow-burn romance novel. There’s something about the mud, the bruises, the emotional yelling… and yes, the constant physical contact. If football is bros slapping butts, and wrestling is “oops, I landed on top of you,” then rugby is an artful mash-up of both, with thighs.
And then there’s the Budgy Smugglers.
After the match, Kinghorn—clearly feeling himself—stripped into a pair of cherry-red swim briefs and gave the crowd a little extra. He posed behind the championship trophy with the confidence of someone who knows what he’s doing. The moment didn’t just teeter on camp—it swan-dived into it.
But here’s where things go from hot to heartwarming. This wasn’t just performative, and it wasn’t about shock value. It felt genuine. It looked like real affection—comfortable, even joyful. The kind of moment you get between friends who have sweat, bled, and likely shared more than one team shower together.
It’s a refreshing reminder that sports don’t have to choke on their own machismo. Willis and Kinghorn are showing what modern masculinity can look like: strong and sweet, rugged and romantic.
And this isn’t an isolated incident. Rugby has steadily emerged as one of the most queer-inclusive major sports. There are gay rugby clubs across the globe, from Sydney to San Francisco. And over the years, the sport has produced openly queer legends like Gareth Thomas, Dan Palmer, and Sam Stanley, to name a few.
As for the romantic status of our two Toulouse tongue-wrestlers? Sorry to disappoint, but neither plays for Team Rainbow. Kinghorn is engaged to Dina Celina, a nutritionist. Willis is with partner Megan Ely, with whom he shares a child. But the kiss wasn’t about labels or speculation. It was about joy, freedom, and not giving a damn what anyone thinks.
Besides, who said straight men can’t kiss and mean it?
At a time when too many athletes are still afraid to show softness, these two went viral for doing just that. And not by accident—they shared the moment. Intentionally. Proudly.
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Call it bromance. Call it post-match passion. Call it whatever you want. But one thing’s for sure: masculinity looks way better with a little glitter, a little humor, and a big kiss between teammates.
If nothing else, it proves what the gays have known for years:
Rugby is the real gay Olympics. And these boys just took home gold.
Love has no gender. Genuine Love is beyond physical appearance.
Good they have the courage.
Love is always good to see.