Rugby union needs to tackle its "laddish" culture, says Ugo Monye.
Some of the sport's traditions don't mirror the current day, according to the former England wing.
"Rugby, just by the dynamic of the game, really and truly is a game for all shapes and sizes from the physical aspect," Monye, 39, told the Telegraph.
Every single attitude should be reflected in that. The best reflection of society should be this one.
The Rugby Football Union's independent advisory group on diversity is chaired by Monye.
Rugby has a heavy drinking culture. During my playing days, I invested a lot of my time into that.
If my kids wanted to play rugby, I wouldn't want them to be a part of that because I don't like drinking after every match.
Rugby can't be afraid of what it is, but it also needs to mirror where we are today.
Monye won 14 England caps and played in two British and Irish Lions Tests against South Africa, as well as winning the title with Quins in 2012
He admits that the changing room could have prevented some of his team-mates from expressing themselves fully.
After five seasons with the club, Simon Miall came out as gay.
When Simon retired, Monye thought, "what kind of environment did we create for him to not be comfortable enough?" Where did the pressure come from for him not to be himself at work, where he spent a lot of time with us?
The changing room was a bit laddish. I apologize, but I think we went out to hurt people or upset people. You begin to understand when someone doesn't want to reveal the core of themselves in that setting.
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