A RUGBY club is celebrating being the first fully inclusive team to be entered in the countywide league after forming less than two years ago.

The Brighton and Hove Sea Serpents is an inclusive club for straight and gay men that now has a membership of around 70 people with between 20 and 30 active players.

The club has now officially been entered into League Four of the Sussex Rugby Football Union to play in the next season, after preparing themselves by playing a number of friendly matches during the past season.

Damian Giles, the club’s secretary, said: “We want to bring rugby to anyone and everyone.

“I never really played until I started with the team. One season later, with 12 games under my belt as a prop and now I am hooked.

“It is still sinking in that we have made it to the league so quickly and we are really making some solid progress as a team and a club.

“There has been a bit of a switch of focus now from being a social rugby club to being more focused on improving our abilities and taking it more seriously.

“Now we need to just up the pace a bit and take the dive.

“I am sure it isn’t going to be easy but we will push through. The teams we have played so far have had a really positive response towards us being an inclusive club and now we feel ready to enter the league.

“The Sea Serpents are not a fad - here today and gone tomorrow - we are a serious rugby team determined to survive.”

In May, players returned from their first European rugby tournament where in the section for newly established teams known as The Union Cup Bowl they finished runners up out of seven teams.

Mr Giles added: “We were really happy with the result of this tournament and can’t wait to take part in others in the future.

“It is great to come together and hone our skills as a team and I feel that the more we get to know each other and play together the better we will become.

“There are inclusive rugby teams all over the country so it is about time that we are represented in a league and able to play alongside traditional men’s teams.”

The club also offers professional coaching and will be sending a team to Amsterdam for the annual Bingham Cup that features approximately 70 inclusive teams from around the world.

Club officials say they are hoping to form a second team for social rugby to accommodate their growing membership.

The team meets to train twice a week at Hove Rugby Club and the players are looking forward to being part of the annual Pride Parade in Brighton this August.