Tawera Kerr-Barlow is taking a stance on homophobia in sport and saying it is not OK to discriminate.

All Black Tawera Kerr-Barlow admits he has used "gay slurs" in the past without intent, but wants others to cut it out and be aware of their team-mates.

The Chiefs halfback has signed up to a campaign for gay awareness in a bid to stop homophobia in New Zealand sport.

Kerr-Barlow and rowing champion Robbie Manson have teamed up with an awareness campaign "the Waterboy" and have visited schools in Hamilton with the aim of speaking with youths who may be struggling with thier identity and susceptible to homophobic comments in their sports teams.

waterboy 2017 Anaru Williams has had to fight harder than most and doesn't enjoy privileges a lot of kids his age take for granted. Anaru wanted to do soccer and trampoline so The Waterboy and Waikato businesses helped him out.

Kerr-Barlow said he wanted to speak out and use his profile, as he has family members who are homosexual and he hoped he could help raise awareness of homophobia in sport.

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DIANNE MANSON/GETTY IMAGES Tawera Kerr Barlow and the Chiefs were caught in a homophobic scandal last year in their end of season celebrations.

"I think raising awareness will help. In the past I've used gay 'slurs' without intention to insult anyone. But, I've come to learn that you never know who may be gay or who you may be unintentionally affecting. It's that kind of language we need to change. I have been challenging myself and my teammates to stop. We pull each other up on it now."

Last year, Kerr-Barlow's Chiefs teammates were in the spotlight for their "Mad Monday' celebrations at the Okoroire hot pools, near Matamata, where forward Michael Allardice was heard yelling "here come the gays, here come the gays".

Allardice apologised for the homophobic slur after a strong backlash from the public.

STEVE MCARTHUR/PHOTOSPORT Robbie Manson said it took him a long time to come to terms with being gay, only coming out of the closet five years ago.

Kerr-Barlow said he has witnessed homophobia in top-level rugby but he believed it had always been "unintentional" and "careless language".

"I don't believe those words carry any intent to harm but that carelessness is exactly what we have to change."

"There's no place for it. I think people are becoming more accepting but as a culture I think we still have a long way to go. The research backs that up."

STEVE MCARTHUR/ROWINGNZ Robbie Manson is the new world record holder for the single sculls 2000m, after surpassing Mahe Drysdale's record at the world cup this month.

Statistics from a 2015 "On the fields study", a study dedicated to research on homophobia in sport, show 80 per cent of those who have participated in sport in New Zealand witnessed homophobia.

New Zealand also had the highest percentage for gay adults to "stay in the closet" in sport with 61 per cent choosing to do so.

Kerr-Barlow wanted to send a message that it's not OK to discriminate against gay, lesbian or bisexual people in sport or the community.

"It's about respecting each other just as normal people. There's no difference between a gay person and a straight person, everyone's just the same.

"I'd just like to challenge everyone out there just as I challenge myself to look in the mirror first before you judge other people. I don't think you have the right to judge anyone based on their sexuality or race. Judge based on personality and their values."

Manson, who recently eclipsed Mahe Drysdale's single sculls world record at the world cup in Poland this month with a time of 6min 30.74s, has been speaking alongside Kerr-Barlow during the Waterboy speaker series.

Manson is a gay athlete and believes that speaking up may encourage those who are struggling with their sexuality to come out of the closet.

Manson only came out in 2012 to those close to him and two years later in public, after battling with fear for years.

"It was difficult for me to accept myself as being gay before I came out. It was difficult to build up the courage to tell my friends and family, but it all went really well and I didn't need to be so worried."

He said after he came out he realised his teammates weren't bothered and most were really supportive. He said New Zealand's sporting society was on the improve when it came to treating homophobia as unacceptable behaviour.

"I think it is definitely improving, in fact I think 99 per cent of people are either supportive or not bothered by having a gay teammate ... kids who might still think that they won't be accepted in a sporting environment. I want to show them that from my experience they will be accepted. There was a time where I once thought that I couldn't row anymore if anyone knew that I was gay. Now it seems absurd that I thought that."

Manson said the homophobic language used in New Zealand sport on the whole had no malice behind it but it had to stop as it can hinder those struggling with their own sexuality.

While Kerr-Barlow has signed to play for French rugby club La Rochelle at the end of the Super Rugby season, Manson hoped having an All Black make a stance against it could help many regular Kiwis relate.

"I think it will definitely help having Tawera stand up as a straight ally against homophobia in sport. Being a rugby player and All Black has a lot of mana, a lot of young kids look up to him and if someone of his status says that it's OK to be gay and that homophobia is not OK, then that will have a huge impact."

Donations to the Waterboy foundation can be given here. All proceeds will go to awareness of homophobia in sport.