England Netball | The Huddle for Pride Month: Sam and Alfie Rudd

Sam is a stalwart of the game at pretty much every level, filling almost any off-court role you could think of: administrator, C Award umpire, Level 2 coach, international technical official and social media guru, to name but a few. The type of local servant who keeps the game thriving.

Having been brought up around netball, Alfie has thrown himself enthusiastically into the game too, as a player for England Trailblazers, an umpire and aspiring coach.

“Netball was something I would always get taken to as a kid,” he says. “I would be taken to watch my sister play and I was always around it. Then I started umpiring as a way to earn some money and I fell in love with it.”

Currently completing a Law degree at the University of Birmingham, Alfie says he has always found netball to be a welcoming space that provides a platform to make social connections.

“No matter what else is going on, there’s always a lot of netball. When I’m back home, I’ll be like, ‘Let’s go to netball’, and you’ll always run into people.

“Netball is so welcoming. I think that’s what makes it unique. It allows people to express themselves and really feel free in themselves. I’ve never felt any judgment or like I’ve had to shrink away from who I am or not be able to express myself openly.”

Sam’s own relationship with the game began at Worcester Netball Club, where she is currently Chair.

“My father was a professional footballer, so we were brought up in sport,” she says. “I’ve always thrived on having that avenue in my life. My daughter hadn’t got into a theatre group, and we said, ‘What else can she do?’ She was nine years old at the time and really tall, and we said, ‘Let’s go and try netball’.”

Sam quickly became an influential figure at Worcester Netball Club and was asked to become a Team Manager.

“I said, ‘Yeah, I can do that’, and it grew from there. We were fairly new to Worcester and it gave us an avenue to meet people. The club has grown massively since. We formed a committee and created a constitution. It’s not a massive population, but we had a huge demand – the club was packed to the rafters.”

At Worcester and beyond, Sam has witnessed first-hand how netball draws people together.

“I think there are a lot of ladies and men who want to find sport and don’t find it because they’re intimidated by the environment. But netball has a really gentle and welcoming community. You arrive on the court and all 14 people will say hello. It’s lovely.”

Alfie adds: “Netball offers you a kind of fresh start; it allows people to express themselves clearly and feel really free in themselves. I never felt any judgment. I never felt like I couldn’t go there and had to shrink away from who I was. No matter how I’ve connected to groups related to netball, everyone says how welcoming and open the culture is. They’re embraced by the clubs and the people involved. I think that’s what makes it really unique.”

Alfie says that Pride Month, which runs throughout June, is a fitting time to recognize netball’s inclusivity.

“It’s a time to celebrate. To go on the parade and march, to spread the message and continue what Pride started – to take pride in your sexuality and showcase your authentic self. There’s no reason to hide who you are. So in that way, it is similar to netball – nobody is judgmental or harsh.”