Ian Roberts, the first star rugby league player to come out as gay, has won the commitment of the NRL to publicly support same-sex marriage.
"I have tears in my eyes mate. I've never felt so proud about our game. This will save lives," he told News Corp Australia on Sunday.
NRL chief executive Todd Greenberg said the game was committed to inclusiveness.
"We need to treat everyone equally both on and off the field and that's why we will publicly support the same-sex marriage proposal."
Roberts, 52, is writing to other major sporting bodies over the upcoming weeks to seek support.
He wrote to the NRL first because he wanted them to take the lead because the game failed to do so when he came out 25 years ago.
"The ARL chose to ignore that opportunity because it was an awkward conversation to be having back in 1994," he said in his email published by News.
"It's not awkward any longer - it is a necessary one. I don't want the game I love to again miss this moment in history."
The AFL staged its inaugural Gay Pride Round last season, but no elite footballer in AFL/VFL history has publicly declared they are gay.
