AN INCLUSIVE rugby team from Coventry has appeared as one of the faces promoting the Six Nations as part of Greene King’s Proud to Pitch In campaign.
The Coventry Corsairs is an LGBTQ+ rugby club that was originally set up in 2019 and have appeared in promotions at Tesco Extra stores up and down the country.
And a picture of Corsairs vice chairman Sam Rose appears on display units in the supermarket with the club one of the first to receive a £3,000 social mobility grant from the brewery last year.
Rose said: “It’s an honour to be one of the faces of the campaign, but more importantly, it’s an honour for the entire Corsairs team.
“We’ve worked so hard to get to the point where we are today, and being recognised is an indication of how far we’ve come. This is a real team effort!”
Corsairs chairman Robert Poulton added: “To receive the grant from Greene King was fantastic and really helped us support our members to continue their rugby journey.
“It also means so much to us that a rugby club which supports the LGBTQ+ community was chosen to represent Greene King IPA – it shows that rugby truly is an inclusive sport.”
The money was put towards buying kit for players, tournament entrance fees and transport for a couple of away games last season.
Corsairs welcome all members regardless of sexual orientation, gender identity, age or physical fitness levels.
And flanker Rose joined the club in February 2020 after a decade out of the game and has since became vice chairman during which time the size of the team has doubled with over 45 regular players.
For each four-pack of Greene King IPA sold during the Six Nations’ run, 50p will be donated to grassroots sports causes.
Proud To Pitch In is an initiative from Greene King IPA, paying cash grants to grassroots and community sports clubs across the United Kingdom.
Emma Hibbert, marketing controller for Greene King IPA said: “We were thrilled to be able to support such a worthy team with funding to enable people to continue to play the sport they love.
“It was also a pleasure to be able to involve them in our campaign and showcase the team.”
The Coventry Corsairs train every Tuesday and Thursday between 7pm and 8.30pm at Black Pad in Coventry.
If you are interested in joining the club, please contact: [email protected]
