‘Despite this, few of my teammates were friends off the rugby pitch. Sadly, a recurring shoulder injury saw me retire. I even played for my regiment when I served in the British Army. I started playing at eight years old at school and continued at university. ‘Rugby is a sport I love and I played for 20 years.
But soon the subject of gay rugby got under Barnham’s skin, encouraging him to expand to many more teams. The project started as a fundraising campaign for UK gay club the Manchester Village Spartans. Andy Barnham John Bramhall, York Templars, back row. Andy Barnham Tom Edgar, South London Stags, fly half. ‘Gay clubs are the best of rugby’s sporting qualities’ Christian Pabis, South London Stags, winger. We asked Barnham a bit about his photo project, Portraits of Pride. But he didn’t know about the wider sporting community that makes LGBT+ rugby today. He was aware of the Bingham Cup, the world championships of gay and inclusive rugby. Moreover it’s been an eye-opener for the photographer – Andy Barnham – who is a former player himself. But despite that, LGBT+ rugby continues to grow. He discovered that sponsors and big clubs are ignoring the opportunities of the growing LGBT+ rugby clubs. A rugby-loving former British Army officer has toured the UK, taking these photos of gay inclusive rugby clubs to shine a new light on the sport.
