A Decade of Pride, Power and Rugby: Celebrating 10 Years of the Brighton & Hove Sea Serpents RFC

When I walked into the Sea Serpents’ 10th anniversary celebration, at The Old Ship Hotel in Brighton, the atmosphere was instantly electric - the kind of buzz that only happens when a community comes together to honour something bigger than sport. This was a room filled with history, pride, friendship and ten years’ worth of sweat, mud, laughter and belonging. As I covered the celebration, I found myself surrounded by founding members, current players, alumni, supporters, and partners, all gathered to mark a milestone that Brighton should be incredibly proud of.

The Sea Serpents are not “just” a rugby club; they are a Brighton institution, a family, a force. What started in 2015 as a dream among a handful of local players - some of whom previously played for London’s historic Kings Cross Steelers - has since grown into one of the UK’s strongest and most visible inclusive rugby teams. And tonight, surrounded by founding members, alumni, current players, coaches, sponsors, and supporters, the story felt even more powerful.

A Celebration of What Community Can Build

The anniversary dinner was a celebration, yes - but it was also a moment of reflection. Ten years ago, inclusive sports teams were still fighting for visibility, legitimacy, and safe spaces in mainstream athletics. Today, the Sea Serpents stand proudly as members of both International Gay Rugby (IGR) and the Rugby Football Union (RFU), competing nationally and internationally, including the Bingham Cup and Union Cup - the largest inclusive rugby tournaments in the world

As I wandering through the celebration, I caught up with Ricky Braiden, the Sea Serpents’ Vice Chair, who lit up the room with the same warmth and charm he brings to the club itself. Ricky spoke passionately about how the Sea Serpents were founded to welcome people who never felt they belonged in sport - especially those who grew up being pushed out of PE lessons or told rugby “wasn’t for people like them.”

"We’re here to break down those barriers, and show that rugby isn’t about hyper-masculinity - it’s about drive, teamwork, and community.”

He proudly pointed out the range of guests in attendance: sponsors who keep the sport accessible in tough economic times, legacy players who’ve supported the club since day one, current squad members, and brand-new Try Rugby participants who are just discovering the joy of the game. “We’ve got exciting times ahead,” Ricky added with a grin.

“We’re growing our Try Rugby programme and developing touch rugby so even more people can get involved. Inclusivity is our foundation, and it’s only getting stronger.”

As I chatted with players, supporters, and founding members throughout the evening, a theme kept resurfacing: belonging. Everyone had a story about finding their place here - beginners who had never touched a rugby ball before Try Rugby sessions, seasoned players returning after years away from the sport, and LGBTQ+ people who had never imagined they’d step onto a pitch and feel safe, strong, and seen.

Try Rugby: Where Journeys Begin

What struck me most is that many of the players celebrating that night started their journey humbly - at the Sea Serpents’ Try Rugby Programme. Held twice a year, it invites total beginners to experience rugby in a safe, supportive environment. Some join for fitness, some for friendship, some for courage. Many stay for years. The club sees it as the heart of their mission, and after meeting those who found confidence, love, identity, and joy here, it’s easy to understand why.

Chatting with Matt Carter, one of the driving forces behind the Sea Serpents’ hugely successful Try Rugby programme. If anyone embodies the heart of the club’s mission, it’s him. Four years ago, he explained, the coaching team came up with a simple but brilliant idea: create an eight-week programme for complete beginners — people who had never touched a rugby ball or had only ever seen one flying past them in PE. Everyone starts together, learns every skill side by side, and grows as a group with no hierarchy and no fear of being “behind.” The result? A roaring success.

“We’re on our eighth cohort now, and about 70% of our current members came through Try Rugby.”

Matt told me proudly as he spoke movingly about reclaiming physicality from old stereotypes:

“Rugby gets labelled as masculine, straight, or intimidating, but physicality doesn’t belong to any one gender or identity. Toughness, resilience, courage - those aren’t straight traits, they’re human ones.”

What participants gain, he said, goes far beyond drills or tackles. They make friends, discover new confidence, and experience what it feels like to step outside their comfort zone and come out stronger. “I went through it myself,” he added with a smile. “It changed me. And now I get to help others experience that too.”

A Club That Carries Brighton With It

The Sea Serpents don’t just play in Brighton - they play for Brighton.
The club’s sponsors and partners are woven into the city’s LGBTQ+ fabric: DEN Loungewear, Bar Broadway, Charles Street Tap, Sarson Funeral Directors, Wildside Barbers, and more, each offering support, visibility, and resources to keep inclusive sport accessible for all. Several guests I met said the same thing:

“The Sea Serpents show what Brighton truly is — bold, welcoming, unapologetically inclusive.”

Looking Ahead: New Seasons, New Visions

As the club heads into its second decade, the celebrations aren’t stopping. There are plans for expanded community outreach, new fundraising initiatives, the annual cheeky Sea Serpents calendar (which, yes, remains iconic), more Try Rugby taster sessions, and even a 2026 Touch Rugby expansion project designed to bring even more people into the sport - no matter their age, background, body type, or experience level

This is what makes the Sea Serpents more than a rugby team. They’re a blueprint for what sports can be when kindness, courage, and inclusion lead the way.

Later in the evening, I found myself speaking with Ian Chaplin, Co-Founder and President, who has been part of the Sea Serpents story since the very beginning. For him, the night carried a special weight - in fact, he reminded me that he stood in this very setting a decade ago for the club’s first-ever dinner. Seeing the room now, buzzing with new faces, expanded teams and an even wider circle of community supporters, was deeply emotional for him.

“When I look at where we started… years of wondering if it would even work… and then realising it does work - that’s huge” he said.

What moves him most today is the wave of young players stepping forward to try rugby for the first time, proving exactly why the founders put in the long hours, the hard graft and, yes, even the minibus driving. He admitted he didn’t expect to be standing here ten years later, witnessing a living, breathing legacy that benefits everyone involved - from players in their twenties discovering the sport to those, like him, who now proudly cheer from the sidelines. “It adds positivity to all our lives,” Ian told me, his eyes drifting toward the packed hall behind us. “And that’s what we’re all about.”

The Woman Who Steers the Serpents: Cat Ide’s Coaching Vision

Of course, no celebration of the Sea Serpents would be complete without a woman’s perspective - and Head Coach Cat Ide delivered it with the clarity, humour and grounded wisdom you’d expect from someone who has helped shape the team’s heartbeat. Cat spoke passionately about what it means to guide a squad that blends beginners, seasoned players and everyone in between.

For her, coaching an inclusive rugby club isn’t just about drills, tackles or fitness - it’s about creating an environment where people feel seen, supported and capable of more than they ever imagined. She explained that women in leadership roles within traditionally “masculine” sports still surprise some people, but at the Sea Serpents, respect is a given, not a fight.

Before the evening ended, I also had the chance to speak with Byron Todd, the club’s Chairman - one of the original driving forces behind the Sea Serpents. If anyone carries the weight of this legacy with quiet pride, it’s him. When I asked whether he ever imagined reaching a ten-year anniversary, he laughed gently and admitted he never thought that far ahead.

“Back then, all I could think about was organising training sessions, finding players, finding a pitch - just getting the club off the ground,” he said. “Ten years wasn’t even on my radar.”

And yet, here he was, surrounded by a room full of people whose lives have been shaped by what he helped build. His proudest memory, he told me, came during a tournament in Amsterdam, where the Sea Serpents won their division — their trophy gleamed on the table beside us as he spoke.

“It signified how far we’d come. It was emotional because we didn’t just turn up and play. We worked for it, we trained for it, and seeing that progress meant everything.” Sea Serpents Chairman Byron Todd said it best:

“We simply wanted to play rugby and create a space where everyone could belong. Ten years later, we’ve built something that goes far beyond the pitch.”

A line that stayed with me long after the night ended.

Ten Years Down. A Lifetime To Go.

As the night unfolded - with speeches, laughter, memories, and a few emotional moments - I realised just how special it was to witness this milestone. Inclusive rugby isn’t just about what happens on the pitch; it’s about what happens in people’s lives.

Confidence grows. Friendships form. Families expand. And communities thrive.

By the time I left the Old Ship Hotel, one thing felt incredibly clear: the Brighton & Hove Sea Serpents haven’t just made history these past 10 years - they’ve built a future.

And it’s one Brighton should be immensely proud of.

Trust me - whether you want to join them, cheer for them, or simply witness what inclusive sport looks like in its brightest form, you’ll want to keep an eye on what they do next.