Dolphins are an integral part of Plymouth’s unique marine landscape (it even has its own pod called the Rame’s Head Pod!), and because “pods” are used to describe groups of players working together on the field.

International Gay Rugby (IGR) is a global organization that represents LGBT and inclusive rugby clubs.

IGR's mission is to promote equality and diversity in rugby, and to eliminate discrimination based on sexual orientation or gender identity. 

What IGR does: 

• Organizes regional, national, and international tournaments

• Works to reduce barriers to entry for transgender athletes

• Promotes tolerance and acceptance of LGBT athletes

• Educates and eliminates homophobia and transphobia in rugby

IGR's history: 

• IGR was founded in 2000

• IGR was previously known as the International Gay Rugby Association and Board (IGRAB)

• IGR is based in London, UK

• IGR has a Memorandum of Understanding with World Rugby to work together to eliminate homophobia in rugby.

Inclusive rugby teams exist to provide a safe and inclusive space to play rugby, where anyone can feel comfortable and accepted. This is especially true for players who felt unsafe or ousted from team environments growing up.

These teams aim to combat stigma and promote inclusivity within the sport by creating a welcoming community for all players regardless of sexual orientation. 

Key points about inclusiverugby teams:

• Combating prejudices like homophobia and transphobia:

  Rugby culture can sometimes be associated with the worst aspects of traditional masculinity, which can make LGBTQ+ players feel unwelcome, so inclusive rugby teams offer a space free from this pressure. 

• Social support:

  Beyond just playing the game, these teams provide a social network for LGBTQ+ individuals and allies who may not have a large community of openly gay athletes in their area. 

• International organization:

  "International Gay Rugby" (IGR) exists to connect and support various gay rugby clubs worldwide, facilitating competitions and promoting inclusivity. 

• Positive impact:

  By creating a welcoming environment, inclusive rugby teams can encourage individuals to participate in the sport and challenge negative stereotypes. 

No!

Plymouth Dolphins is inclusive; we are proudly open to anyone and everyone who wants to enjoy rugby. Our team allows people of many different backgrounds to play together.

We have an unusually high proportion of non-LGBTQIA+ players for an IGR club., We believe this has given our team a special culture where everyone can have the most fun being themselves, and this has translated to success on the pitch and off it.

The team is a space that aligns with the IGR Code of Conduct and aspires to be warm, safe and exciting for everyone.

Experience is not a requirement to start your rugby journey.

Our team has an impressive diversity of experience, from complete newcomers to players who spent much of their youth playing the game.

Experienced players support those who are learning, and we will train you to know everything you could possibly need to know to get the most out of the club.

Training and playing are voluntary: it is entirely up to you how much time you want to commit to the team.

That said, the more you train, the faster you will learn, the better you will play and the more you will get out of being in the experience!

To start with you will need suitable boots for training and clothes to run around in that you won’t mind getting dirty (especially in the wet winter months).

Club-branded merchandise is also available to buy whenever you want some.

Rugby is an exciting, fast-paced contact sport and playing carries a risk of injury.

The core of the Plymouth Dolphins is being inclusive and fun. Our training sessions are usually run as touch rugby, which substitutes tackling for light touch. This helps keep training accessible, especially for new players.

For parts of our training sessions that do cover learning tackling, these are not compulsory. If you want to learn tackling, this will be done at a pace you can manage.

We are also very excited that we are taking our first steps towards trading our inclusive touch rugby team for summer 2025.

We collect availability for games about 3 weeks in advance on Spond. Then the squad for the game is chosen from available players: the coaches always try to make squad selection fair.

Finances shouldn’t be a barrier to anyone Dolphin enjoying the game. Please speak to either the Chairperson or Membership and Recruitment Officer to discuss your situation confidentially. We will always try to make things work! 

We often organise car pools or coaches to help our team and supporters get to Away games.

This helps keep these experiences fun, sustainable and affordable!

We arrive at the ground approx. 1.5 hours before kick off, allowing time to change, warm up and run through set-pieces before kick-off.

Matches are divided into two halves, and normally last 40 minutes each. Sometimes games go into overtime if both teams have scored equal amounts of tries and conversions.

Post Match dress code is a white shirt and Club tie unless otherwise stated (sometimes we revert to social polos). After the match we enjoy food, and give awards to the standout players on both sides, and often we then enjoy a night of socialising!