Steelers Reach Quarter Century
Despite the pandemic, the world’s first gay and inclusive rugby club, Kings Cross Steelers, managed to celebrate their 25th birthday.
With the wider celebrations cancelled due to coronavirus, they marked the event just before a second lockdown with the culmination of their Touch25 league, run over the previous six weeks. Some 200 people enjoyed playing touch rugby, covid secure, in East London and then celebrated with birthday cake.
In a normal year the club has 250 members and four playing squads and continues to perform a vital role in achieving equality in sport. As a founding member of International Gay Rugby (IGR) the club continues to lead the way.
They will again compete in the Bingham Cup, now postponed by coronavirus until 2022. This world tournament, first held in 2002 in memory of gay rugby hero Mark Bingham, a passenger on United flight 93 who fought back against 9/11 hijackers, has grown from eight teams to more than 70.
Said Steelers chairman Matt Webb: “The early days of the club were a real struggle, from finding opposition sides willing to play us, dealing with homophobic language on the pitch and off and press articles mocking us, it was not easy for the founders. Jump forward 25 years and our club boasts what must be one of the largest number of new recruits each year, learning rugby from scratch as adults. This is alongside four regular squads who are hugely competitive at level 8 and in the merit tables and looking for promotion to level 7 when rugby returns.
“We’ve had lots of support from the RFU, the hard work has paid off and we are committed to protecting that through these tough times for our sport, primarily because the family we have built needs it for their physical and mental wellbeing.
“We are all very aware of our roots and the pioneering work that came before us, there is far more to be done to ensure rugby remains the most welcoming and inclusive sport and we have committed to doing all we can to help in that mission, while being part of the wider English rugby family."
