Tayler-Woolston grew up watching Newport with his father, Andrew, and was treated to a side that featured South Africa internationals Gary Tiechmann and Percy Montgomery in the pre-regional era.
After captaining Cardiff Met and Wales Students then playing for Newbridge, he got the chance to pull on a black and amber jersey for the first time against Cardiff on permit in October 2015.
A permanent move followed, but the flanker was unable to be at his best.
Tayler-Woolston came out to his family in his late teens – “I couldn’t have asked for a better reaction from my parents, they weren’t bothered at all” – but kept secrets in rugby settings.
“I was sort of living a double life, and then you are lying to yourself,” he said.
“My biggest worry was that I would be judged based on my sexuality rather than my rugby skill.
“I think it was my second year with Newport that I started to think that I had to tell people, that I couldn’t bottle things up any more.
“It was mentally draining and I was constantly on guard. I wanted to go to dinner with my partner, I wanted to hold their hand without constantly looking over my shoulder.”
Relatively new in the squad, Tayler-Woolston’s biggest fear was being rejected.
He wondered how the coaching staff react, and whether they would continue to pick him?
“All those ideas were building in my head because you read horror stories online,” he added.
“I felt that I was lying to my team-mates because I couldn’t be my true, authentic self around them.
“It is tiring being on guard all of the time, wondering what people would think, whether I would be isolated and rejected.
“I love pulling on the black and amber jersey, I never take it for granted and it means so much.
“It would have been devastating to be rejected by my club and city, but thankfully I’ve never faced that.”
