Qoob Sponsor Local LGBTQ+ Rugby Team; Northampton Outlaws

We’re proud to announce our sponsorship for local rugby club, the Northampton Outlaws RFC, throughout 2024 and 2025.  Founded in April 2012, the Outlaws are the first “LGBTQ and Inclusive Rugby” club in the East Midlands and play in the International Gay Rugby (IGR) League which features around 30 clubs in the UK, and over 100 globally.

At Qoob, we’re community-minded, and we want to make an impact in meaningful ways where we can, and supporting local endeavours like this is exactly where we feel we can make a difference. But it goes way beyond our logo on a pair of shorts for a season, we’re much more interested in the positive impact that the team has on the community and its players and we’re proud to be able to be a part of that.

Accessibility & Pride in Rugby

Simon Chapman, long term player of the team and Club Chair, said to us that “It’s really important that we are able to provide a space where everyone, especially LGBTQ+ people feel comfortable and have access to a sporting environment that they may not have always felt welcome in – or had been excluded from – while growing up. We’re hugely proud as a team to have been able to provide this for over 10 years and support from companies like Qoob, alongside our other sponsors, allows us to keep doing this.”

The Outlaws frequently attend Pride events around Northamptonshire, promoting inclusivity in the sport across the county, and take part in community events like litter-picking locally. Ongoing support from businesses allows the Outlaws to continue as a team, which means they can continue to support their players and community – many of whom have turned to the sport for mental well-being.

Our Operations Director, Perry Pearcey, plays in the forwards for the team and has been doing it since 2022.

“I joined the Outlaws a little after lockdown and had been really struggling mentally like a lot of people. Alongside some personal stresses I was probably at the lowest point I’d ever been mentally, not to mention the impact that lockdown had on my physical health. I’d never been part of team sports in my life – as a bisexual man, I’d never felt comfortable in that environment – but joining the team really helped me. Physically it got me in much better shape but more importantly for me it really helped me mentally. The team supported me through a lot of tough issues and having a space to go and focus on the sport and not having to think about the negative things in my life was a huge benefit. That’s had a huge impact in both my personal and my professional life – if I’m in a good place mentally overall then I’m in a better place to do a great job for Qoob and our clients also.”

Inclusivity & Openess

The LGBTQ+ inclusivity of the team is important to us as a business also, with half of our Senior Leadership Team identifying as such, it’s a topic very close to our heart, and we wanted to offer a tangible, impactful gesture to the community by supporting the Outlaws.

Matthew Rigby-White says, “As CEO of Qoob, I’m happy to support the Northampton Outlaws in any way we can. I’ve seen firsthand the impact that the team has on their players and the local LGBTQ+ community; as a gay man that’s incredibly inspiring for me and I’m glad to be able give support. At Qoob it’s important for us that we provide a workspace where people of all demographics feel included and safe, and I hope that by showing our support for the Outlaws it’s a tangible and clear example that everyone is welcome here.”

We want to wish the team the best of luck for the rest of this season, and especially in the Bingham Cup over in Rome in May where they’ll be competing against teams from all over the world. Good luck all!

Keep an eye out for Northampton Outlaws fixtures by following their Instagram @OutlawsRFC or visit their site here for more information.

If you’d like to know more about our sponsorship of the team, or speak to us at Qoob, please contact [email protected].

Photography by Northampton Outlaws and Ben Riley of Coventry Corsairs