The Spinoff
Former Black Caps cricketer Heath Davis is the first major New Zealand male athlete to openly discuss his sexuality
This story is from the team at thespinoff.co.nz. Madeleine Chapman is the editor.
A cult cricketing hero who played for the Black Caps in the 90s has become this country’s first international male cricketer to speak publicly about his experience as a gay professional athlete.
Pace bowler Heath Davis was selected to play for New Zealand in 1994 at just 22. Regarded at the time as among the fiercest in the world, he had the talent and charisma to be a superstar.
But behind the scenes was a life hidden. During the days on tour, Davis opened the bowling with blistering pace. At night he went looking for sex in places where nobody would know him.
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Playing for his home side in Wellington, Davis kept his two lives separate until moving away from the city – and eventually the country – was the only way he could live openly as himself.
Out of the public eye since his retirement from first class cricket in 2004, Davis appeared in the season finale of The Spinoff’s documentary series Scratched: Aotearoa’s Lost Sporting Legends and shared the truth behind his career, his infamous antics and the lonely life of the first gay Black Cap.
For many, Davis will be most known for his bleached blonde hair, gold chain and often frustratingly inconsistent bowling.
The most-viewed video of Davis on YouTube is titled “worst first ball in test cricket history” and shows his first ever international cricket delivery – a leg side wide for four.
That inconsistency paired with a knack for doing things no other athletes would dare do (he played more than one match for Wellington while on acid) set Davis apart from his teammates. But he set himself apart in other ways too.
While on tour with the Black Caps, Davis kept mostly to himself. His teammates would socialise together and meet women while out celebrating, while Davis would quietly excuse himself to head to a different part of town.
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“It was lonely,” he said. “There’s a lot of going to saunas and seedy places to get sex because you didn’t want to be seen and that sort of stuff.”
In speaking publicly, even 28 years after his Black Caps debut, Davis is the first New Zealand male cricketer to openly discuss his sexuality – a rarity in this country among sporting men.
Until now, there have been no (openly) gay All Blacks or Black Caps and very few queer male athletes known to the New Zealand public. Kiwi speed skater Blake Skjellerup came out in 2010 after what would be his final Winter Olympics, while rower Robbie Manson did likewise in 2014.
Irish rugby player Nick McCarthy was celebrated in June for publicly coming out as gay. Gareth Thomas, who played 100 tests for Wales, was among the first international players to do so in 2009.
The Spinoff
The Wellington Firebirds, with Davis pictured second from right in the front row.
Last week, the Manly Sea Eagles rugby league team made headlines after seven players refused to wear a team uniform with rainbow piping in support of the LGBTQIA+ community.
However, queerness has been part of women’s sport for decades. Most recently, Amy Satterthwaite and Leah Tahuhu were married while playing in the White Ferns together.
Davis said never felt unsafe within his sport, but he never felt truly comfortable either. “I was a bit afraid of just being out in Wellington. Being able to take my partner to the game,” he said, speaking of his time with the Wellington Firebirds.
Stuff
Davis, on his way to collecting five wickets against Central Districts in March 1995.
In 1997 he moved to Auckland where “everyone in the team knew I was gay”. Then, in 2004, he moved to Australia where he’s lived since, working various labour jobs.
In speaking out now, Davis doesn’t consider himself to be a role model as much as someone who simply wanted to live as freely as everyone else. “I just wanted a normal life. There was a part of me that needed to break free and I wanted a partner to love. That was really all.”
Where to get help for the LGBTQI+ community
- OUTline NZ 0800 688 5463 (0800 OUTLINE)
- RainbowYOUTH 09 376 4155
Watch the full episode of Scratched on thespinoff.co.nz.