PRIDE IN THE BISONS

Bristol Beer Factory brew to unite people over world-class beer. Whether you prefer AF, GF, cask, keg or can, our BEER IS FOR EVERYONE. On the eve of Bristol’s Pride march and celebrations, we sat down with Jamie White, who has only recently stepped down as the Bristol Bisons Chairperson after three successful years at the helm. He told us more about who the Bisons are, why inclusivity in sport is so important and their plans for rugby world domination!

Kick us off with an easy one. Who are the Bisons? 
The Bristol Bisons are an award-winning, inclusive rugby team open to players of all abilities, backgrounds, age, gender or sexuality.  EVERYONE IS WELCOME.

The word on the street is you were the first inclusive club in the South-West…
Yup! The Bisons was set up 20 years ago to offer a safe space for anyone interested in rugby – whether they wanted to play contact rugby, touch rugby, or simply find a community that they felt a part of. But back in 2005, this didn't exist in Bristol or elsewhere in the southwest. Originally, we started as a place for people from the LGBTQIA+ community, but as we've grown, that's grown as well. Now, we are an open community based around rugby, and we have been growing stronger and stronger ever since.

How many people are in your community? 
We currently have around 80 active members across our contact team, touch team and supporters. But over the history of the club, we’ve created a space for close to 1,000 people. People have come over the years, but some people have been active members for more than 8-10 years, and others have taken a break for whatever reason and then come back. The Bisons are always there when you need them. 

So what’s all this about being an award-winning club? Give us the goss.. 
In the last few years, our minds have really shifted to quality of game as well as inclusivity of community. We play in the IGR league (International Gay Rugby), which started around 25 years ago and has more than 100 teams worldwide.  In 2023, we were named as the IGR UK Development League Champions. Then in 2024, we finished top of the UK IGR South-West League, were named winners of the UK Championship Plate and finished in the top 20 teams in the world at the IGR Bingham World Cup in Rome, Italy. This year, we won the UK Challenger Shield and finished in the top 8 of all European IGR teams at our recent IGR tournament in Oslo, Norway.

What’s the key to your success? 
In 2021, Sasha Acheson, who is a former England and Bristol prop, joined us as head coach. She clocked the talent in the team and inspired us to be our best. Over the last four years, she has taken us from simply finishing a game, to winning the first league. Now we really back ourselves and know that we've got the talent. One day, we will win the European tournament (and the World Cup!) That's the goal!

Being able to be 100% yourself in every aspect of your life is not important – it is vital! What does inclusivity in sport mean to you? 
It's a question that reacts on so many levels, but personally, sport has given me a place to be myself. Growing up, I wasn’t a very sporty person. I've always had the build of a rugby player and been told I'd be good at rugby, but I never really felt that I fit into other clubs. I moved to Bristol five years ago, not knowing anyone but had been told great things about this club. At the Bisons, I’ve found fitness, grown in confidence, which I’ve taken forward into my personal life, and into my work life and gained friends and a very social community. 

You talk a lot about community. The Bisons seems so much more than just putting on your boots and going out to play?
As soon as you are part of the club, we do our best to make sure everyone feels supported and nurtured 100% of the time. We have a really good group of supporters, outside of those playing, that facilitate this. We’ve got a good thing going on and we want everyone to know we exist and they are welcome.

Bristol Beer Factory has been sponsoring the Bisons since 2023. Alongside our pals Yakima Chief Hops, we’ve given you more than £15,000 of cash and beer donations. What does it mean to have the backing of a local business like us? 
It’s amazing to have a Bristol-business with a hugely well-known name support us. We are a different type of rugby club, but we still have our pints after a match, or after training and whether you drink beer or not, we go out and socialise a lot. So to have backing from a business that fits closely to our values is hugely important!  But more than this, running a rugby club can be really costly. You need to pay for pitch fees, as well as have all the kit, equipment and travel subsidies, especially as we play all over the UK. BBF’s sponsorship package means we cannot only function as a club, but can be professional. Be ambitious. Be taken seriously.

Will we see you at the Pride Parade in your kit? 
Yeah, in our brand-new Bristol Beer Factory sponsored kit. Bristol Pride is obviously a big thing for us so we will be there marching with friends, family and supporters. Pride is a celebration, but at its core, it is a protest for LGBTQIA+ rights. This is why we always make every effort to have as many people there, promoting the Bisons and standing up for inclusivity. The more the merrier. 

Finally.. do you have a parting comment for us Jamie?
“I've seen a lot of companies, with charitable initiatives along the lines of Brewed to Give, but I've never seen anyone do it better than Bristol Beer Factory. Brewed to Give is so well rounded, perfect, and it can meet so many community needs in a variety of different ways. It's so great that it's happening in Bristol and that it's winning awards as well because you deserve it. I think a lot of companies should look at BBF’s Brewed to Give and take inspiration from it, to do something similar.” 

Pride is a protest. Turn out on Saturday 12th July to show Bristol that EVERYONE is welcome in our city. Bisons forever! 

Want to find out what it means to be a BBF Community Partner – head to our BREWED TO GIVE pages. 

Want to join the Herd? Head to the Bristol Bisons Insta page and find out how.