Brighton & Hove Sea Serpents
 Brighton & Hove Sea Serpents RFC | ||
| Full name | Brighton & Hove Sea Serpents Rugby Football Club | |
|---|---|---|
| Unions |
Sussex RFU International Gay Rugby (IGR) | |
| Nickname(s) | Sea Serpents | |
| Founded | 4 November 2015 | |
| Location | Brighton & Hove, England | |
| Ground(s) | Hove Recreation Ground, Shirley Drive, Hove | |
| Chairman | Ian Chaplin | |
| President | Pete West | |
| Coach(es) | Tom Foy | |
| Captain(s) | Byron Todd | |
| League(s) | Harvey's of Sussex 4 East 'Bonfire Boy' League | |
| ||
| First match | ||
|
Sea Serpents 0 - 25 Kings Cross Steelers IV (20 February 2016) | ||
| Largest win | ||
|
Sea Serpents 42 - 3 Munich Monks (30 April 2017) Union Cup 2017 | ||
| Largest defeat | ||
|
Sea Serpents 3 - 104 St Leonards CP (15 October 2016) | ||
| Official website | ||
|
www | ||
Brighton & Hove Sea Serpents RFC is a gay and inclusive rugby union club based in Brighton & Hove in Sussex, England.
Club History
The Brighton & Hove Sea Serpents were formed on 4 November 2015 at a meeting at the Camelford Arms pub in Kemptown, Brighton,[1] to give gay and bisexual men the opportunity to play rugby in a friendly and relaxed atmosphere.
Season 2015/2016
The Sea Serpents played their first match against the 4th XV of London's gay and inclusive rugby club, the Kings Cross Steelers, on 20 February 2016 at Hove Recreation Ground, losing by 25 points to 0.[2] Over the next two months during March and April 2016, the Sea Serpents played a return match in London against the Steelers' 4th XV,[3] an away match against the Birmingham Bulls,[4] and were admitted as members of IGR.[5]
Season 2016/2017
The Sea Serpents kicked off their second season in existence with a summer touch rugby tournament in Birmingham organised by the Birmingham Bulls - Touch My Brum 2016.[6] During the tournament the club registered their first ever win, a 2-1 victory against the Amsterdam Lowlanders.[7] The club continued to play friendly matches against other IGR teams,[8][9] and local Sussex teams. The Sea Serpents registered their first win in a full XVs match on 21 January 2017 against the Reading Renegades, a 37-3 victory, including 7 tries, also witnessed by the Mayor of Brighton & Hove.[10] At the end-of-season Union Cup in Madrid, the Sea Serpents caused quite an upset by winning all of their group matches in the third-tier Union Bowl and making the Gold Final ahead of their closest rivals Kings Cross Steelers IV, the more established Bristol Bisons and Manchester Village Spartans III and the newly formed Munich Monks. They lost in the final to French side Rebelyons, finishing runners-up in their first international tournament.[11]
Season 2017/2018
Once again the Sea Serpents kicked off their season with a trip to the Birmingham Bulls touch rugby tournament finishing in the middle tier competition, a level above the previous year. The club was accepted into the Sussex Leagues and will compete in the Sussex Division 4 East playing 9 other teams home and away.[12]
Domestic League
The Sea Serpents will take part in their first league campaign during the 2017/2018 season in the Sussex Division 4 East
League History
| Season | Tournament | P | W | D | L | F | A | +/– | Pts | Win % | Position |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2017/2018 | Sussex 4 East | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | +0 | 0 | TBC% | TBC |
Domestic League Matches
| 2017/2018 Sussex 4 East |
|---|
|
|
International Tournaments
The Sea Serpents took part in their first international tournament at the Union Cup in Madrid in April 2017 and were drawn in the third level competition - the Union Bowl.[13]
Union Cup History
| Year | Tournament | P | W | D | L | F | A | +/– | Win % | Round | Position |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
2017  Madrid |
Union Bowl | 4 | 3 | 0 | 1 | 76 | 25 | +51 | 75% | Gold Final | Runners Up |
Union Cup Matches
| Madrid 2017 |
|---|
|
Group Matches Gold Final |
Club Crest & Colours
The club's emblem depicts a rampant green sea serpent, carrying a white rugby ball, with a blue, rolling wave in the background, to signify the fact that Brighton & Hove is a seaside city. The club's colours are light blue and green, taken from the colours of the respective railings on the seafront in Brighton (light blue) and Hove (green). The first kit used from the 2015/2016 season onwards was sponsored by the Camelford Arms,[14] a pub situated in Brighton's gay village, and site of the first meeting of the club in November 2015.
Notes
- ↑ "New rugby club for gay and bisexual men in Brighton & Hove". 20 October 2015. Retrieved 10 January 2017.
- ↑ "Brighton & Hove Sea Serpents vs. Kings Cross Steelers IV". 20 February 2016. Retrieved 10 January 2017.
- ↑ "Kings Cross Steelers IV vs. Brighton & Hove Sea Serpents". 2 April 2016. Retrieved 10 January 2017.
- ↑ "Birmingham Bulls vs. Brighton & Hove Sea Serpents". 16 April 2016. Retrieved 10 January 2017.
- ↑ "Brighton & Hove Sea Serpents RFC elected to IGR". 14 March 2016. Retrieved 10 January 2017.
- ↑ "Registration now open for Touch My Brum 2016". 25 February 2016. Retrieved 10 January 2017.
- ↑ "Amsterdam Lowlanders vs. Brighton & Hove Sea Serpents". 9 July 2016. Retrieved 10 January 2017.
- ↑ "Kings Cross Steelers IV vs. Brighton & Hove Sea Serpents". 3 September 2016. Retrieved 10 January 2017.
- ↑ "Brighton & Hove Sea Serpents vs. Birmingham Bulls". 7 January 2017. Retrieved 10 January 2017.
- ↑ "Brighton & Hove Sea Serpents vs. Reading Renegades". 21 January 2017. Retrieved 22 January 2017.
- ↑ "Union Cup 2017 Madrid Competition Results". 30 April 2017. Retrieved 7 May 2017.
- ↑ "Harvey's of Sussex 4 East 'Bonfire Boy'". 24 July 2017. Retrieved 24 July 2017.
- ↑ "Union Cup Competition Seedings". 27 April 2017. Retrieved 7 May 2017.
- ↑ "Sponsors". Retrieved 10 January 2017.