Ben Cohen and Will Greenwood surprised amateur teams to celebrate the Rainbow Laces campaign

World Cup winners Will Greenwood and Ben Cohen have joined gay referee Nigel Owens to surprise two LGBT+ inclusive teams.

The rugby legends shocked and enthralled players of Bristol Bisons and Northampton Outlaws to raise awareness of Stonewall’s Rainbow Laces campaign.

When the Bisons players arrived at Clifton Rugby Club to play their league match against Northampton, they found Greenwood and Cohen waiting to meet them in the changing room.

The 2003 Rugby World Cup-winning duo presented the squad with fresh match kits, featuring Aviva Pride and Stonewall as kit sponsors.

Also included in the package were Rainbow Laces for their boots, as part of Stonewall’s initiative to improve visibility for LGBT+ sportspeople.

The duo then announced they were playing in the match too, with star referee Nigel Owens taking charge.

(Henry Browne/Getty Images for Barbarians)

After a typically bruising game, Greenwood praised inclusive teams, saying: “Rugby clubs like Bristol Bisons are so crucial to the local community.

“We’ve come to the South West to surprise a safe, welcoming, friendly club, where anyone can turn up to play a game and be accepted.