The love of a particular sporting activity brings many people together. Steve Ashfield gets the lowdown on why they feel so important ) When you start playing sport, there are a couple of routes you can go down. Go for personal success or join a sports group. Those hours of training on your own aside from a coach aren’t easy, especially when it all goes wrong. Being part of a group entails training with others, helping your fellow members and, of course, there’s the reaction to how the results go.
Here we take look at what it’s like to be part of a local sporting club with views from Brighton Lesbian & Gay Sports Society (BLAGSS), Brighton & Hove Sea Serpents RFC, Out to Swim, the Brighton & Hove Frontrunners and Australian Rules Football player and personal trainer Liz Ridgeway. There are similarities between the groups but also some different reactions to being part of a sporting community. If you haven’t been part of one and you’re wondering what it’s all about and how to become a member, here’s what they have to offer.
FRONTRUNNERS ) Running together: if you’re into running,
then James Barron highly recommends joining the Brighton & Hove Frontrunners. He describes them as an “inclusive bunch who want to widen access to the joys of running to all of the local LGBTQ+ community”. Rather than just going for a run by yourself, being part of a group has both physical and mental benefits. “we pride ourselves on scheduled weekly structured runs, training sessions, and social activities outside of running.”
BRIGHTON & HOVE FRONT RUNNERS SELFIE BINGO
Whether you are a beginner of have lots of experience, you can become a member. Past activities have included taking part in everything from local park runs to the Brighton Half Marathon and the Marathon itself. All activities members can’t wait to do again once the current crisis subsides.
OUT TO SWIM ) Pooling their energies. Out to Swim (OTS) is a branch of the London-based club and, in normal times, they would meet three times a week at the Prince Regent Swimming Pool in Brighton. Members enjoy keeping fit, making friends and they can train for competitions.
As with all our sporting groupss, they welcome members of all abilities. It doesn’t matter what your sexuality, gender, body type or race is. Julia Rutherford told us: “Our aim is to be inclusive and encourage everyone into swimming so they can thrive from the great health and social benefits it provides.” There are also weekly pub outings and a good support network. As you’ll read later, the latter is very important at present.
SEA SERPENTS ) Power and speed required: Rugby Union isn’t for the faint-hearted, though it’s a sport that has a few different sides to it. Becoming a member of the Sea Serpents will see you playing a tough sport with plenty of action in the scrum as attempts are made to win the ball. Then it’s the turn of the fast-running backs to attempt and get past their opponents to score a try.
SUSSEX SWANS ) Tough but enjoyable: Australian Rules Football is most likely to be the sport covered here that you know least about. I had no idea that the Sussex Swans existed, so what’s it all about? Liz Ridgway gave me a long description of the game (you can read the full reply on the Gscene website). Suffice to say it’s played on an oval field between two teams of 18 players, or sometimes nine-a-side on a rugby pitch. “The game features frequent physical contests, spectacular marking, fast movement of both players and the ball and high scoring”, so it’s probably not for the faint-hearted either.
BRIGHTON & HOVE SEA SERPENTS RFC
GOOD SPORTS
STARTING THE JOURNEY ) Making that first step is often difficult but the results can be so rewarding. Liz started playing her sport while growing up in Australia. Years later, on arrival in Brighton, she was surprised to hear of the Sussex Swans. There wasn’t a women’s team and soon “the goal of building that team” began, resulting in the team being formed. Now they take on some of the more established sides in the area.
What would we do without the internet? James found details of the Brighton & Hove Frontrunners online but was surprised to see there was no group in Brighton. With some friends, he set out to change that and has had great success in doing so. Experienced swimmer Julia has always found that LGBTQ+ clubs are generally “really friendly and inclusive with a good social aspect too”. It was a no-brainer to join OTS when she moved to Brighton three years ago. Now she says her largest group of friends are in the group. Byron Todd also had experience of playing Rugby Union before arriving in Brighton. A lack of self-confidence had initially held him back from joining the Kings Cross Steelers, but he eventually went to a training session. “When I arrived in the changing room for the first time, I was scared that this group of gay men were going to judge me on my body or who I was. They were judging me, but on what position I could take in the team.” On his arrival in Brighton in 2015, plans soon began to form a team. Working with Ian (now chairman), an initial meeting was held in the Camelford Arms. To their delight and surprise,
