Brighton and Hove Sea Serpents: LGBTQ+ rugby club kicks off new season

Brighton and Hove Sea Serpents have paved the way as the city’s first inclusive rugby club taking part in international tournaments including in Birmingham and Canada.

Now, new and old players have talked about what the club means to them.

Will Taylor, who joined the club at the beginning of the year, said: “It’s so important for rugby itself and to connect with people in the community.

“In this team they understand your struggles and you can go to people without having to explain your problems in the first place.

“It makes you feel like other people have your back, I can imagine in other situations you could feel so separate and alone.”

Emil Johansson, who has been playing for the Sea Serpents for five years, added: “Rugby is more welcoming than other sports like football but it’s really important to have the space to feel safe in.

Emil, left, and Will (Image: The Argus)

“Some people might not have had the best experiences playing sports in schools. It’s a tad more ‘laddy’ in the straight clubs.”

The Sea Serpents are part of the International Gay Rugby association and compete against other teams including in tournaments abroad.

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This year the club competed in the Union Cup, an international tournament which was held in Birmingham and included teams from across the world.

The club welcomes players of all sexualities, including LGBT+ allies such as Charlie Swannack who plays in the team.

Charlie, a forward who captained the team at the Union Cup this year, said: “It’s good to have that inclusivity and everyone feels safe to play the sport. There’s a safe space for everyone.

“Nobody bats an eye and I think it shows that everyone is inclusive, and everyone is equal. We’re here to play rugby, your sexuality shouldn’t matter.”

Based at Hove Rugby Club in Shirley Drive, the team focuses on encouraging new players to take up the sport.

Charlie Swannack, centre, being tackled (Image: The Argus)

The team has grown to over 80 members and has created a developmental team.

Fly half Tyler-James Russell added: “I never felt unwelcome at other clubs, but I never quite felt like my family was there. They take you in and make you one of their own.

“The dream is to not need to have an inclusive club but there’s always going to be a place in the cub for anyone. We want to nurture players into rugby.”

The club has had to adapt after the decision by the RFU, rugby’s governing body in England, to ban trans women from playing contact rugby in women’s teams.

Players at training (Image: The Argus)

While the Sea Serpents have to abide by the RFU’s decision, the club has a number of trans male players who are still allowed to play contact rugby in men’s sides.

Tyler-James, a member of the team’s executive committee, also stressed that all trans players are welcome at the club and allowed to play touch rugby where the RFU allows.

Brighton and Hove Sea Serpents kick off their new season in September.