A rugby 'miracle' and gay friendly - why Brighton is perfect World Cup host

England trained at the University of Brighton on Wednesday

Womens' Rugby World Cup Pool A: England v Australia

Venue: Brighton and Hove Albion Stadium Date: Saturday 6 September Kick-off: 17:00 BST

Coverage: Live on BBC Two, BBC Radio Sports Extra, BBC iPlayer and BBC Sport website and app

In women's rugby circles there has been growing excitement around the final round of World Cup pool matches in Brighton.

England against Australia is a historic rivalry across all sports and sexes, with the Wallaroos under the pump to qualify for the quarter-finals after their draw with the USA.

And New Zealand face Ireland in a glorious grudge match in the city that hosted arguably the greatest ever upset at the men's Rugby World Cup, when Japan beat South Africa in 2015.

Brighton is also unofficially known as the 'gay capital of Britain', and it's this last element that has ignited much of the excitement, with the subject not something the women's rugby community now shies away from.

Women's team sports in Britain have long offered an inclusive environment, but Alex Teasdale, executive director of the women's game at the Rugby Football Union, says women's rugby is a "special place" for the LGBTQ+ community.

"From a gay point of view, it's just felt very, very accepting. Women's rugby has historically challenged gender norms. And I think it's been very interesting to see that it's been able to create this really safe space, or for the majority of time, a safe space," she said.

"There's always more work to do. The relationship that rugby has had for people that perhaps didn't feel that they were as welcomed, or that they fitted as well into other environments - they found that safe space and that comfortable kind of environment with like-minded people or people that they felt could support them."

Stereotypes

Matches in Salford on the opening weekend of the World Cup coincided with Manchester's Pride weekend and now Brighton will host long-term rugby fans and those new to the sport.

Conversations around being gay have become normalised in most westernised cultures and it is being seen and heard across Rugby World Cup 2025.

England players Meg Jones and Hannah Botterman have been joking, accepting and challenging the stereotypes associated with the sport on their podcast "Barely Rugby" on BBC Sounds.

In the England team, there are players who have always been comfortable being open about their relationships. Flanker Marlie Packer and lock Rosie Galligan got engaged earlier this year, while props Sarah Bern and Mackenzie Carson are partners who have frequently shared the ups and downs of playing alongside and against each other.

Another emerging social media theme of the tournament has been for influencers and journalists to count the number of openly gay players on each team. Most of the posts are well thought through and have come through checks with the individuals involved that they are happy for their sexuality to be discussed.

The highlight of this trend has been USA team captain Kate Zackary and team-mate Charli Jacoby joking that they demanded a "recount" of their side's tally of gay players because "we belong on a podium".

Teasdale says this is a new theme of the tournament, adding: "It is really interesting, the changing openness, particularly from a gay women point of view within rugby.

"I think if you went back definitely 10 years, but maybe even five years, I don't think that would have happened."

While Britain provides a relatively safe space for the gay community, there is also no shying away from the fact that in some cultures, religions and countries, homosexuality is considered to be unacceptable, or illegal.

This is an area that Teasdale hopes the RFU remains "respectful" about, but also thinks "others do look to us to see how some of this type of work can be done".

"I do hope that some of the work that we do just helps to open eyes and open hearts, and makes sure that people's attitudes are changing and people have been supported, as supportive as they can be," she added.

Men's gay rugby community

Brighton is home to the Brighton and Hove Sea Serpents RFC, a men's side who pride themselves on being the "South's first gay-inclusive rugby team".

The Kings Cross Steelers, based in London, were the first club to be set up under the auspices of International Gay Rugby (IGR), and there are now 41 clubs in the UK listed on the organisation's website.

Brighton offers "iconic" status to the sport, explains Teasdale, adding: "I think it's something really, really special in that there's something really special about the fabric of this city and the people that live there and the people that visit and feel part."

While professional men's rugby is not yet known for having a similar community, former Wales captain Gareth Thomas announced he was gay after playing, England Sevens and Saracens players Sam Stanley was open about his sexuality, and it has been the same for referees Nigel Owens and Craig Maxwell-Keys.

Former Bath and Ealing player Levi Davis came out as bisexual in 2020, two years before he went missing in Barcelona.

The 'miracle' of Brighton

Despite a historic victory over South Africa at the 2015 Rugby World Cup, Eddie Jones' Japan failed to qualify for the knockout stages

On 19 September 2015, Japan's men stunned the rugby world by beating the Springboks 34-32 at the World Cup.

The match's legacy led to a movie, and an apology to the South African nation by then coach Heyneke Meyer.

Brighton councillors frequently discuss the impact the game had on the city, with Teasdale sitting with them in meetings as they discussed the number of Japanese tourists who still visit the city 10 years on.

"They've had to put additional kind of activations and cultural elements in for Japanese and Asian tourists coming into Brighton," Teasdale said.

"We've obviously got a slightly different set of fixtures coming up this weekend in Brighton. But how amazing would that be if, in 10 years' time, the council has had to put all sorts of installations in for overseas visitors because of the women's rugby.

"So, yeah, 2015 did play a big part, particularly around cities like Brighton. We just hope that we can carry that on."