James Child delighted to raise profile of LGBT sports people with Question of Sport appearance – Yorkshire Live
Top referee James Child says he was delighted to help raise rugby league’s profile with his guest appearance on last night’s Question of Sport. The Yorkshireman, who is openly gay and married his partner Steven in June, was invited on the popular BBC quiz show in an episode which celebrated 50 years of Pride in the UK.
Paddy McGuinness and captains Sam Quek and Ugo Monye were joined by world champion swimmer Mark Foster, Rugby Union World Cup winner Katy Daley-McLean, Olympic hockey champion Susannah Townsend and Winter Olympic curling medallist Bruce Mouat.
Child was initially sat in the audience before joining Monye’s team midway through the programme in a surprise twist to the show. Child told Rugby League Live: “One of the rounds was the noughts and crosses round and it involved a question whereby the winner got me as an extra player on their team.
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“It was done as a surprise so, on the day of filming the show, I was kept away from all the other guests and I only went in the Green Room afterwards. But still, it was a great opportunity to be involved in such an iconic show, having been there in the audience with the Referees’ Society many years ago.
“It was really enjoyable to be a part of the panel, although I don’t watch many sports other than rugby league to be honest.”
There were two rugby league questions when Child was on the panel, one of which involved identifying Ricky Leutele as he scored a try for Toronto Wolfpack against Huddersfield Giants. Child is one of nine full-time referees employed by the Rugby Football League and took charge of the Challenge Cup final in May at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, when Wigan Warriors beat Huddersfield.
The 39-year-old announced he was gay in February 2021 and added: “It was great that the BBC put on a special episode like this to celebrate Pride.
“It raised the profile of people who are involved in different sports from an LGBT background. Question of Sport is a programme I’ve watched since I was a kid and, while the likes of Jon Wilkin and Paul McShane have been guests recently, I must be the first rugby league referee to do so.
“I was genuinely honoured to be a part of it because it’s the longest-running sports quiz show in the world. I’d like to think I’ve played my part in raising the profile of rugby league and LGBT sports people.”
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