Retired rugby star Campbell Johnstone’s relationship with his fiancé Ben Thomson may have been love at first sight.
But there were personal and geographical obstacles in their way.
The pair crossed paths at a pub in the U.K. in 2016, seven years before Johnstone publicly came out as gay in January. Then they parted ways. Thomson, who used to ride horses professionally, was moving to London and Johnstone was heading to Spain to coach the sport he loves.
But then COVID struck, and they both returned home to New Zealand. That’s when the romance began in full swing.
“You just know, you know?” the 43-year-old told New Zealand Woman’s Day. “It’s relaxed, it’s easy and it’s simple.”
Johnstone played for New Zealand’s top international rugby club, the All Blacks, who are considered one of the most successful teams in any sport…period.
Playing as a prop in 2005, Johnstone often found himself in battles for balls, fending off opponents with his body. It’s one of the most physical positions in a relentlessly physical sport.
In his coming out interview, Johnstone admitted his role as an athlete impeded him from accepting his gay identity.
“Within myself, I was never really comfortable with the whole concept,” he told TVNZ. “My dream was to be an All Black.”
But after coming out to families and friends, Johnstone gained more self-confidence. He decided to come out so he could be a role model.
“If I open up that door and kind of magically make that closet disappear, then we’re going to help a lot of people,” he said. “If I can be the first All Black that comes out as gay and take away the pressure and stigma surrounding the issue, it can actually help other people.”
Johnstone’s story went worldwide, a testament to the reach of the All Blacks. In the weeks following his announcement, thousands of messages poured into his inbox.
“It’s been a really rewarding and humbling few months,” he said. “It seems to be helping people, which is the main thing. I’m still getting messages even now thanking me for what I’m doing, which blows my mind.”
Thomson was there to support his partner all the way.
“I was so proud,” he said. “As awesome as it was to come out, it’s still kind of sad that it has to happen. We talked about it more and more as time went on, and we realised that this could help a lot of people. Then it was finally the right time and, of course, it changed nothing for us–it’s not like we were hiding our relationship.”
Perfect compliments to one another–Thomson is extroverted and Johnstone prefers to stay in the background–the two got engaged in June 2023. Like any classy gentleman, Johnstone asked Thomson’s parents for permission before getting down on one knee.
“His mum said, ‘Of course you can – go for it!’ His dad got up, gave me a hug and said, ‘That’s really cool’. They were both pretty excited for us. The hardest thing was to find a moment when Ben was not around his parents, so I could ask them!” said Johnstone.
When Johnstone finally popped the question, he proposed in Turkey.
“We knew the photos would be amazing with the balloons and the landscape,” said Thomson. “Of course, we would have been happy anywhere, but we thought the background here would be amazing–and it was.”
We agree!
While their wedding is still in the planning stages, Johnstone did find the time to wish Thomson a happy birthday on Instagram!
“Happy birthday to this awesome amazing guy. Every day with you is a blast,” he wrote.
We’re certain the best for this happy couple is yet to come! They are together at last, with no more barriers in front of them.
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