A new exhibition at the Seafront Gallery this month showcases women’s rugby in Brighton and Hove.
The display opened on Monday to coincide with the World Cup trophy’s visit to the city following England’s historic victory last year.
Hosting some of the Women’s Rugby World Cup matches in Brighton last year was an immensely proud occasion for the city and nation. The previous administration’s vision and ambition proved worthwhile, with two capacity crowds and considerable excitement throughout the area.
The Women’s Rugby World Cup is anticipated to generate almost £300 million economically across the country, while sponsorship income for the event exceeded £11 million. Last year’s competition secured 22 sponsorship agreements, outperforming the 2021 event’s revenue, and close to half a million tickets were purchased – tripling previous attendance figures. The Twickenham final attracted over 80,000 spectators and established a new world record.
The number of women playing rugby in England has grown by almost 40 percent over the past decade, with more than 2 million women and girls now participating and over 500 clubs providing women’s and girls’ rugby programmes. This rapid expansion, similar to growth in women’s football, is exposing facilities inequalities. BBC reporting indicates that insufficient access to toilets, waste bins and menstrual hygiene provisions makes regular participation more difficult for women and girls.
Some participants have had to change sanitary products in unsafe or unsuitable locations, and many community players encounter facilities designed primarily for men with no consideration for women’s requirements. These deficiencies impact female community players most severely, who frequently face outdated or inadequately maintained amenities. Many women feel marginalised or incapable of training regularly, creating a preventable obstacle to equality, wellbeing and advancement in their sport.
The Greens naturally welcome and take pride in their role in bringing the World Cup to the city, though attention must now shift to improving facilities, which requires an administration willing to pressure the government for increased funding.
I have previously addressed grassroots sport challenges in my role as a football team manager, and over my decade of involvement, the condition of pitches and facilities has deteriorated significantly while club and league profits have risen – a pattern reminiscent of everyday British life.
The limited regard successive governments have shown for the environment regarding grass pitches nationally surely symbolises this neglect, resulting in a substantial growth in artificial turf pitches. While health benefits from more accessible sporting venues are evident, the use of microplastics, particularly Crumb Rubber Infills, directly contradicts Sport England’s pledge regarding carbon neutrality and microplastic reduction.
Organisations such as the UK Environment Agency, DEFRA and the EU’s ECHA have all raised concerns about potential risks linked to Crumb Rubber Infills, from microplastic contamination to possible human health effects. The EU has already taken steps to restrict its use, yet the UK faces a regulatory gap that leaves communities vulnerable while other nations transition to safer solutions.
Unfortunately, UK government policy on Crumb Rubber Infills differs significantly from the EU’s stance, so this week at Full Council the Greens are backing an Independent group proposal urging the administration to write to ministers to align regulations and prevent new artificial pitches from containing microplastics.
Importantly, safer alternatives are available. Biochar-enhanced natural grass, innovative drainage systems like Hydro Rock and non-microplastic infills provide practical, sustainable options that other councils, such as Green-led Mid Suffolk Council, are already implementing. With a parliamentary petition calling for a ban on Crumb Rubber Infills in new pitches, this discussion must extend beyond our city to the national level.
Improved sports facilities consistently demonstrate better health outcomes for those gaining access to them, but this should never come at the cost of our health in other respects or cause environmental harm.
A redistribution of the substantial profits generated at the top levels of British sport back to the grassroots organisations that enable their existence is surely needed, though given this government’s devotion to trickle-down economics, I am not optimistic.
Steve Davis is Leader of the Opposition and Green Group Convenor.