Birmingham Bulls’ Pride
For the first time, as part of the Census, there was a count of the LGBTQ+ community putting numbers at 1.5million living in England and Wales
With LGBTQ+ players making up a significant part of the rugby family, over recent decades, there’s been a steady growth in inclusive rugby teams and a more inclusive culture across the RFU empowering diversity to flourish.
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Birmingham Bulls host Union Cup
In this June celebration of Pride, Birmingham Bulls RFC can be proud of their tremendously successful hosting of the Union Cup, Europe’s largest inclusive and gay rugby tournament.
No fewer than 1,400 competitors, from 46 teams and 18 European countries made Birmingham their home, for three days of fantastic rugby.
The bi-annual tournament, founded in 2005 in Montpellier, was held at The Pavilion in Birmingham, in partnership with Birmingham City University. Birmingham Bulls RFC originally won the bid for the tournament in 2019 and were due to host it in 2021 but the West Midlands had to wait until this year due to the pandemic delay.
It was certainly worth the wait as teams played up to six 40-minute games with the overall crown going to London’s Kings Cross Steelers RFC, for the eighth consecutive tournament, and Cup wins in lower tiers for teams from Wessex Wyverns RFC in Southampton, Paris, Munich and Vienna.
The tournament included a women’s competition with three teams travelling from across Europe to play, despite boycotts from others with members unable to play in England due to the RFU’s introduction of the Gender Participation Policy last July. International Gay Rugby and the Birmingham Bulls hosted education sessions on supporting transgender people, used the colours of the trans flag motif and stood in solidarity with the trans players.
Steelers’ First
The 14+ English clubs taking part in the Union Cup, most with multiple teams, including Manchester, Northampton and Colchester, were testament to the continued growth of rugby in the LGBTQ+ community. Birmingham Bulls delivered an amazing event with players, local volunteers and the local union creating a fantastic festival of rugby.
Kings Cross Steelers RFC having followed up their Bingham Cup victory last August with another Union Cup win, became the first club to hold both titles and win them back-to-back.
Images: Alan Whittington
