AceShowbiz - Mickey Rourke is in talks to put on his rugby boots and tackle a new movie role based on the true story of a homosexual sports ace. The "Wrestler" actor met up with British rugby star Gareth Thomas last week to discuss a proposal to bring the sportsman's tale to the big screen.

Thomas hit headlines last year when he became the first rugby union player to openly 'come out' and when Rourke read about the star's story on a recent trip to Britain, he immediately arranged a meeting to talk about the possibility of playing him in a film.

A spokesman for Thomas' management company tells Wales on Sunday, "Mickey Rourke is a big rugby fan and was flying to New York from London recently when he read an article about Gareth and thought he would be the perfect model for a film. Mickey contacted Gareth directly via a mutual friend in rugby league to express his interest and invited Gareth... to meet him for dinner."

"The fact that Mickey is so passionate about doing a moving picture has been really flattering and, although we haven't come to an agreement yet, we're really hoping it does happen. Now it's for the two managers to sort it."