'I'm tougher and more confident since signing up for my trans rugby team'https://www.outsports.com/2026/8/12/24141149/transmanian-devils-international-gay-rugby-lgbtq-trans-archer-confidence/?utm_source=lgbtqnation&utm_medium=directlink&utm_campaign=directlink&utm_content=Trans+player+says+LGBTQ+rugby+has+given+him+more+confidence 🔗 [Link: outsports.com/2026/8/12/24141149/transmanian-devils-international-gay-rugby-lgbtq-trans-archer-confidence/]Archer, Transmanian Devils RFC (12 Aug 2026)
When I first responded to a post by the Transmanian Devils rugby team on Instagram, I had no idea what I'd be getting myself into.
I was fresh out of moving home in the U.K., and without the university social network that many young people rely on, I found myself with a small social circle. I was looking for connection.
Rugby, I assumed, couldn't be that hard.
It turns out the sport was more complicated than I thought.
That was August 2023. I had never watched a rugby match before, let alone played one. But the idea of joining the Devils, who are a trans-specific "barbarians team" for the whole country, really appealed to me.
I began training with an IGR (International Gay Rugby) team in my local area to prepare for my first Devils bootcamp.
Three years later, rugby has become the center of my world.
What keeps me coming back is the friendships I've made and the desire to keep improving as a player. A small part of me also wants to prove wrong anyone who doubts my ability. That motivation has served me well.
Today, I train with my IGR team twice a week and play matches on weekends. If I'm not playing, I'm taking photos. In the offseason I play, referee and coach touch rugby (which, controversially, I actually enjoy more than union).
More than the schedule, it's the environment that matters. It's a space where, on or off the pitch, I can be myself within a brilliant group of people.
