Rainbow Laces message really matters, says cricket club that prides itself on being LGBTQ friendly
Signing the Proud Pledge in support of Stonewall’s Rainbow Laces campaign was a “meaningful” commitment to LGBTQ inclusion for Mersey Rose Recreationals CC; on Rainbow Laces Day, the Liverpool-based cricket club’s captain Andi Page talks to Sports Media LGBT+…
The cricket season may be over, but supporting LGBTQ inclusion in sports is a never-ending story for Mersey Rose Recreationals CC.
The cricket club, whose roots lie in the village of Rainhill near St Helens, has only been going for three years but has already established a proud reputation as “The Friendly Club” – a tagline that is prominent on their website.
Scroll down the homepage, and you’ll also find the logo of Stonewall’s Rainbow Laces campaign and an accompanying “Proud Pledge”.
The pledge was introduced when Rainbow Laces was relaunched earlier this year as a way for clubs, teams, leagues and venues to clearly signpost their LGBTQ-inclusive values.
On Thursday, October 8, Stonewall is marking “Rainbow Laces Day” as an awareness activation in the calendar.
Coming two days before World Mental Health Day, the call is going out across the sports sector, asking everyone to take an action that lets all LGBTQ people know that they belong.
For Andi Page, the captain of Mersey Rose Recreationals, there won’t be any cricket played this week as autumnal weather conditions begin to set in across England.
But he is able to reflect with satisfaction on a busy and successful summer, while thoughts are beginning to turn towards 2027. “Some of us will hopefully be at EuroGames in Cardiff next year,” he says.
We caught up with Andi for a Rainbow Laces Day Q&A…
Hi Andi, and thanks for chatting with Sports Media LGBT+. Why was it important for MRRCC to sign the Proud Pledge and display it so prominently?
Andi: Thanks for the invite! Rainbow Laces has been a highly influential campaign for equality within sport that, as a proudly LGBTQ+ inclusive club, we wanted to be part of.
The Proud Pledge is a simple statement, but it’s also a really meaningful one, and our own club is built around the idea that the starting point should always be inclusion.
The Proud Pledge communicates our own values, and it’s something we feel needs to be promoted when, sadly, not all other sports clubs take the commitment to inclusion as seriously as they should.
Thursday, October 8, is Rainbow Laces Day, which is focusing on the benefits of LGBTQ+ inclusive sport and activity for mental wellbeing. How does MRRCC help the community to “Move With Pride”?
What we’ve always tried to do here at Mersey Rose is create a welcoming environment in which participation is more important than competitiveness.
Everyone is welcomed here, whatever their level of experience or ability, and LGBTQ+ people and disabled people – often hugely under-represented in cricket clubs – are supported to be involved in the full life of our club.
We have worked with partner clubs to help make participation more inclusive, and we will of course continue to do so.
What moments really stand out from the club’s history so far?
I’m going to pick out the T20 Pride Match with Whitefield CC, held in 2024 as part of Knowsley Pride.
To have a cricket game as an integral part of an official Pride event was fantastic, and many people who had never watched cricket before in their lives came to enjoy the match.
It was great to have a mainstream club working with us to promote inclusion, and of course it was good to win!
We also finished as runners-up in the 2025 Out4Cricket tournament, which was a truly special day out for us.
But ultimately what has been most important is the way that we are continuing to build and attract players who would never be involved in cricket if it wasn’t for our club.
What is your message to other clubs, leagues and sports spaces who are interested in the Proud Pledge and Rainbow Laces?
Inclusion isn’t as hard as a lot of people seem to think! It’s often just about doing simple things right and listening to people.
When I first came to a cricket club, I was asked whether I was a batter or a bowler, and I was basically grilled to find out how good I was and whether I would be an asset to the team.
It’s the totally wrong approach. Clubs should instead be asking “how can we help you?” or “what would you like from us?”
Rainbow Laces is a very simple campaign to understand, but it has a really important message.
The more clubs that get involved, the better the game becomes for everyone.
Our thanks to Andi – check out the Mersey Rose Recreationals CC website here.
To learn more about the Proud Pledge and how your club or fitness space can get involved, visit the Stonewall website and join the movement to make sport everyone’s game.
To talk to Sports Media LGBT+ about Rainbow Laces, contact us here. For forthcoming events, see our calendar, and check out our archive of related content.
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