England Cricketer Nat Sciver-Brunt on LGBTQ+ Inclusion

For the seventh year in a row, cricket is marking Stonewall’s Rainbow Laces campaign from June 29-July 7th. In celebration of Pride Month, the England and Wales Cricket Board will promote LGBTQ+ inclusion by all of their men’s and women’s teams wearing Rainbow Laces across this period.

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England Women will wear Rainbow Laces in their matches against New Zealand this summer. The match will also feature rainbow stumps and a rainbow boundary. I spoke with England player Nat Sciver-Brunt about what the campaign means to her as a gay woman in sport and the entire LGBTQ+ community.  

 She described the campaign as a way “to keep the conversation going about how cricket is an inclusive sport and wanting it to be a sport for everybody where you feel comfortable with whoever you are and whoever you want to be. It will take time. For me, it took time from coming out to now where I feel very free in talking about it and I can only imagine how people would feel right at the start of their journey. As long as we can create a safe space for people within cricket, then we are on the right path.”

 The Rainbow Laces campaign is a demonstration of creating that safe space. The laces “can be worn in your shoes, in your hair etc, however you want to represent the LGBTQ+ community. It’s a nice week in cricket where all the teams will be supporting the charity.”

 Regarding her own experience in coming out, “it felt fairly normal” within the cricket community and the teams she was part of. “I definitely felt nervous, especially when telling my family. But the way that it was received was positive and supportive. Unfortunately, not everyone has the same experience when they come out.”

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Naturally, being open with your sexuality can be extremely daunting and nerve-wracking. Every scenario is unique, but if she can offer advice to those anxious about coming out, “it won’t feel like such a big thing (after you’ve done it). It’s like anything that’s a bit uncomfortable, and after you’ve done it, it feels a lot better. For me, feeling comfortable with who I am was definitely made easier by coming out, so it’s just about being yourself, and it will definitely feel easier afterward.”

 Sciver-Brunt has been representing England for over a decade, fulfilling the role of a true all-rounder by contributing to the team as a batter and a bowler. Since becoming a professional cricketer, she has become a role model for many young girls to look up to. She admits that she has “sort of fallen into the role model role,” and it wasn’t something she considered before playing professionally, so it took some time to get used to. She feels pressure from the role but tries not to let it overwhelm her: “I’m just going about my business the way I would anyway. I’m just doing it because I love it.”

 It’s not just Sciver-Brunt who is a role model, but the entire England team and every female cricketer. “As a team, we’ve also spoken about being an inspiration and trying to entertain people, and those things go hand in hand.” In what has been a male-dominated sport for so many years, cricket has “been on a journey of inclusivity.” The women’s team would hardly play matches at the biggest stadiums, like the Kia Oval or Edgbaston, and if so, it would generally be a doubleheader with a men’s team. “We’ve been on an upward trend for quite a while, but the last few summers, we’ve played at bigger grounds and had massive crowds. The women have arrived. We’re welcomed into those grounds more now where in previous years, we were made to feel more like outsiders or like a guest, but now we feel that we belong more.”

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LGBTQ+ inclusion is something that everyone can work towards achieving. Sports can be seen as a safe space for many athletes, and if people feel comfortable coming out within a team, “seeing that as a special thing is really important, and having that support from anyone, either big or small, can make a big difference.” She is grateful to have had that support from the teams she has played for throughout her career. Community is essential when “you’re working towards a common goal together, and you have that camaraderie to fall back on.” However, there is always room to learn more about someone else’s experience, and as a team, they are always “trying to gain an understanding of different people’s perspectives.”

 Sciver-Brunt recently made headlines when she revealed that she missed an England T20 match to undergo fertility treatment. She and her wife, Katherine Sciver-Brunt, have both represented England cricket. She expressed the importance of opening the conversation about fertility and women’s health. “It’s something that is talked about a lot in women’s sport, not just in cricket. I think it’s fairly topical within women’s sports in England, and it’s relevant to any woman. It didn’t feel like something I wanted to hide, and I’m really glad it’s been received well.”

 Nat Sciver-Brunt and the England Women’s cricket team will show off their Rainbow Laces during their upcoming series against New Zealand. Tickets to watch are selling fast. Fans can find out when they are playing at their nearest ground at https://www.ecb.co.uk/tickets/england.