Campbell Johnstone, the first openly gay All Black, is officially engaged.
On social media, All Black number 1056 said he was "incredibly happy" that his "special guy," partner Ben Thomson, agreed to tie the knot.
"Thank you @beniboinz for making this one of the happiest days ever!" he gleefully wrote on Instagram.
Thomson also shared the news on his Instagram profile, excitedly telling his followers "Im (sic) a fiancé now!
"Can’t wait to spend the rest of my life with you @campbelljohnstone.nz"
The prop played in three All Black Test matches in 2005 and made 72 appearances for Canterbury and 38 for the Crusaders. (Source: 1News)
In an interview with Woman's Day, the couple shared their engagement story and their dream to make it official in Turkey.
The couple travelled to Cappadocia, where Thomson, who first met Johnstone in 2016, got down on one knee at sunrise as the region's famous hot-air balloons rose from the ground.
“It was a bit of an off-the-cuff speech, really,” Johnstone told the magazine. “I just said, ‘Ben Thomson, will you do me the honour of marrying me?’ and he said yes, obviously.
"I was concentrating on not dropping the ring while I was putting it on. It’s quite a fiddly process!”
During his career, Johnstone played in three All Blacks tests in 2005, and made 72 appearances for Canterbury and 38 for the Crusaders.
He publicly came out in January, making headlines around the world and receiving widespread praise for his bravery from fellow All Blacks and the New Zealand Rugby community.
Earlier this year he spoke with Seven Sharp about how liberating it felt, and what prevented him from doing it sooner.
"Within myself, I was never comfortable with the whole concept and my dream was to be an All Black... My view of an All Black was manly, strong, possibly with a wife and kids," he told Hilary Barry, explaining why he did not come out during his playing days in 2005.
"Ultimately, he chose to come out in hopes of defeating stereotypes and raising up those struggling to be open and true to themselves.
"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."
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