In 1995 the representation of professional LGBTQ+ athletes in sport was limited to a handful of people within the UK and global sports arena. Section 28 was still in effect. Justin Fashanu was living as the country's first out footballer; he would go on to tragically take his own life. It would be another 12 and 14 years before Welsh international rugby union referee Nigel Owens and professional rugby player Gareth Thomas publicly came out. So to say the environment that 6 men formed the Kings Cross Steelers in was less than friendly is an understatement.

25 years later the club and global IGR community stand as a beacon of inclusive sport, linking communities across the world through their passion for the sport. The Steelers have over 250 members in a normal year, four playing squads, and an army of new recruits each September trying rugby for the first time through our Pathway to Rugby programme.

So why is a club like the Kings Cross Steelers still needed? A recent study by Australia’s Monash University, which was backed by Premiership rugby club Harlequins concluded that;

69% of males from rugby clubs in the South of England said they had heard teammates use homophobic slurs
42% admitted to using it
31% had been targeted on the pitch with it

This reality was massively disconnected from
98% believing a gay member would feel “very welcome” in their club
69% want homophobic banter to stop
88% know homophobic slurs are damaging to LGBTQ+ people

When this is compared with statistics on those who both consider and attempt suicide, 47.7% and 23% respectively in the LGB community according to a CDC study in 2017, it demonstrates to us, along with our own experiences, that there is more work to be done to ensure full equality. The visibility we provide along with the safe space that may not be found in another club is vital.

The founding of the Kings Cross Steelers was to provide a safe space for Gay & Bisexual men to play a sport they loved and prove, through their endeavours on the pitch, that they were equal to any mainstream team. Through many years of playing against squads in the RFU merit tables and leagues, the hundreds of players we have had over the years have proven to many that rugby is for all.

Any rugby club exists for its members, 2020 has demonstrated how vital community and person to person interactions are to our physical and mental health. Having a group of like-minded individuals who have had shared experiences as they grow up around us is something we can all appreciate the benefit of. In a survey taken of our members during the lockdown, 40% of them admitted that their mental health had suffered during the lockdown along with their physical fitness. This is a staggering amount and one which has led the club to work tirelessly to bring back rugby for its members.

Working within the government and RFU restrictions we have managed to provide meaningful rugby based activity that has seen 60 plus members participate in, per session.

“In 2016 I went through a horrible breakup, had severe depression and had attempted suicide. Part of rebuilding my life was to join the Kings Cross Steelers, with a new job I had a new hobby, new friends & lots of laughs and pain (from training).

The Covid-19 Lockdown took that all away from me. I knew I would struggle but didn't think it would be so bad, left alone with my thoughts my depression crept back in, binge eating began and I felt terrible again.

Luckily my support network through the club helped me to keep focus, I started treatment early and managed to lift myself out of it. I started to run, get fit and lose the weight I had put on. Just as I was starting to feel a bit better the great news came that the Steelers could start training again and I would see my teammates.

It sounds simple, going to rugby training twice a week but honestly, it's the biggest part of my life (apart from my two dogs) and I was so pleased to have it back. I'm now in a much better place mentally and physically, and I thank the club and the people who made it possible for us to get back to training”
Bryan Nolan, 35
Bryan joined the Steelers in 2018 through the Pathway to Rugby programme

“Being able to return to rugby has helped me massively with my mental health. It has allowed me to get some routine back in my life and a chance to see friends. This is incredibly important because it helps to not feel so isolated from everyone in the most responsible way”
Brandan Crooke, 23
Brandan joined the Steelers in 2019 and plays for the University of East London Rugby Club 1st XV

So, in answer to the question posed earlier we feel the club still has a vital role to play in the fight for equality in our sport and the physical and mental well-being of our community.

To that end the Kings Cross Steelers RFC is renewing its mission, we should continue to deliver both for our members and the wider non-rugby traditional community. Please see our updated Mission Statement below and for the next 25 years

Mission Statement

The vocation of the King’s Cross Steelers Rugby Football Club is primarily to provide the opportunity for members of the LGBTQ+ community and allies to play and enjoy ever-improving standards of rugby.

As the world’s first LGBTQ+ & Inclusive rugby club, our mission is to assert in front of the whole rugby community our value as competitive sportspeople through our progress and results.

Founded in 1995, predominantly for gay and bisexual men we honour those beginnings and what it meant to that part of our community. We now strive to do more by supporting, through our membership and campaigns, Rugby For All. No matter the gender, non-binary status, sexual identity, ethnic or socio-economic background, all are can join us. Our Club aims to be a role model for the LGBTQ+ community and a successful example of friendly cohabitation between people of all backgrounds.

All Are Welcome.

The Club will strive:

— To ensure that it develops the self-confidence and motivation of all its players.

— To field a team that plays and enjoys competitive senior rugby.

— To supply an alternative platform for those desiring to play social rugby.

— To provide structured training at various levels to advance the abilities of all players joining the Club.

— To provide an environment where people of all genders, sexual orientation, ethnic and socio-economic backgrounds can feel comfortable about themselves, whilst pursuing their interest in rugby.

— To actively encourage new and former players, especially where they may have been discouraged by prejudice.

— To encourage, develop, and integrate the Club’s supporters network and foster increased community links.

— To provide an active social programme for the enjoyment of players and supporters.

— To work in partnership with other LGBTQ+ sports organisations, sports organisations and
the RFU to help progress diversity & inclusion in sport and society.

— To work with the LGBTQ+ community and the under represented groups within it, where appropriate, to support their own voice and lived experiences.