Irish side Emerald Warriors bringing 100 people to LGBT+ rugby tournament
James Cox
Emerald Warriors rugby club will be travelling with 100 plus players, coaches, medics, physios, team co-ordinators and supporters to the Union Cup in Birmingham.
The Union Cup is a biennial LGBT+ rugby tournament, its aim is to make sporting accessible for LGBT+ individuals, the tournament is "a celebration of equality, inclusivity, and sportsmanship".
The tournament was first held in 2005, in Montpellier France and was last hosted in Dublin in 2019. It will be hosted this year by the Birmingham Bulls RFC from April 27th to 30th.
This will be the largest group of Emeral Warriors members who have travelled to the Union Cup. Four teams will compete in this year’s Union Cup, and for the first time Emeral Warriors will have their Women’s team representing the club and Ireland in the tournament.
Club president Richie Fagan said: “Bursting with PRIDE, the incredible work ethic of our members over the past few months in preparation for Union Cup is paying off. We have never travelled with such a large and diverse membership, an incredible milestone for us, as we head into our club’s 20th anniversary."
Azure captain Jessica Elmes said: "I'm absolutely honoured to be captaining Emerald Warriors first female identifying team as we
represent our club and country at Union Cup in Birmingham. Many of us had never played rugby before and it's incredible to see how far we've come in just 10 short weeks, thanks to the enthusiasm, dedication and commitment of our coaches and players.
"I'm immensely proud of our Azure team and can't wait to see how it comes together on the pitch this weekend!"
