First Sikh woman to play rugby for England inspires Brighton

Manjinder Nagra, the first Sikh woman to represent England in rugby, now lives in Brighton and Hove and works as a contracts and procurement lawyer for the city council.

She continues to champion inclusion and opportunity for women and girls, both in rugby and beyond – recently speaking in support of Brighton and Hove City Council's Sport Lifts Her Higher campaign, which aims to establish the city as the UK capital for female participation in sport.

Manjinder Nagra. (Image: Bx Webb)

Ms Nagra said: "Having played for almost 20 years, I recognise the pivotal role of sports in empowering young girls.

"I didn't have role models when I was growing up, but if girls can see the change and see role models, it will encourage them to think about a sport that they may not have otherwise a thought of.

"Rugby has been a powerful source of resilience and confidence for me.

"It permeates other areas of life and has afforded me opportunities I may not otherwise have had.

"I want other women and girls to have those same opportunities, that’s why I think the council’s campaign is so important."

Ms Nagra took up rugby at university and was selected for England Students, despite having no prior experience in the sport.

She later joined Hove Rugby Club, where she launched the club's girls rugby programme in 2016.

It has since grown from just six players to more than 80 regular participants.

She continues to coach, and has introduced a mixed walking rugby session for adults, as well as running the Hangleton & Knoll Project's multicultural women's walking rugby group.

Her influence stretches beyond rugby.

Earlier this year, Ms Nagra won gold in her weight category at the English National Sumo Championships and silver in the open weight category, securing her place at the European Sumo Championships in Scotland in June.

Ms Nagra said: "If you’d told me I’d go from rugby to sumo at 51, I wouldn’t have believed you.

"But here I am preparing to compete in the Euros.

"I’ve stepped into something completely new and it’s scary, but I’m grabbing this opportunity with both hands.

"Representing England once is an honour and doing so twice is incredibly special."