Support and inclusion can come from the unlikeliest of places but the sport of rugby is head and shoulders above so many other team sports in terms of LGBTQ+ players. 

You don’t see many gay football leagues after all, which is exactly what the documentary Steelers is all about, currently showing on Amazon Prime Video.  

Last October, World Rugby recommended that trans women shouldn’t play in women’s elite or international teams, citing ‘safety’ reasons. These were just recommendations however and the French rugby federation has decided unanimously to reject them.  

Serge Sikon, the vice president of the sporting body said “Rugby is an inclusive, sharing sport, without distinction of sex, gender, origin or religion. It is important to allow all our members to practice their passion while respecting everyone’s rights.”

Trans players would need to prove they had been taking hormones for 12 months prior to signing up but already trans women have joined some domestic teams with one player saying ‘I’m not even the biggest girl on the team!’