Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, whether her Department is taking steps to support LGBTQ+ rugby union teams.

The government is committed to promoting diversity and inclusion in sport at all levels. We will continue to work with the sport sector to help it be inclusive and welcoming to its spectators, participants and workforce, including LGBTQ+ people.

Sport England’s ten year strategy, Uniting the Movement, reinforces their commitment to tackling inequalities faced in sport by underrepresented groups, including LGBTQ+. Sport England is investing £120 million to increase participation in sport and boost diversity at the grassroots level to give more and better opportunities to all.

Additionally, the updated Code for Sports Governance requires sports that receive substantial public funding from either UK Sport or Sport England, including Rugby Union, to have detailed and ambitious diversity and inclusion action plans in place, which are published and updated annually.