‘We knew it was right’: England cricketers Sciver and Brunt announce engagement
Katherine Brunt and Natalie Sciver playing for the Scorchers in Perth, Australia, 2018. (Paul Kane – CA/Cricket Australia via Getty Images/Getty Images)
Two England cricketers who play for England’s national cricket team announced their engagement on October 11 – National Coming Out Day.
Natalie Sciver, 27, and Katherine Brunt, 34, got together after the England women’s cricket team won the World Cup in 2017.
The couple had already been living together – in a house-share – for four years. Fast-bowler Brunt asked all-rounder Sciver to be her girlfriend hours after England’s historic win over India, telling The Guardian she “knew it was right”.
““I know there is nobody who is better for me. I had put it off but then I just asked her. I am shit at remembering dates but I knew that I would never forget that one. Genius from me,” Brunt said.
The couple got engaged last New Year’s Eve, but had put off the announcement because Sciver’s parents, who are Christian, struggled coming to terms with the fact their daughter is a gay woman.
“They don’t believe in the way I choose to live my life, basically, so it has been quite difficult,” Brunt said. “Having to tell my parents was really difficult because I care a lot about them so it was something I put off for a long, long time.
“But as I have got older, I have seen sense and realised that it is not about that, it is about being yourself and living life properly.
“My parents love me: there is no questioning that. They will always be there for me and support me. They are still my parents and they still love me, so it is a compromise I have to take but I am ok with that.”
For Sciver, who came out to her parents weeks after asking Brunt out, the pressure from her parents hasn’t been the same – but she admits there’s still been something holding her back in everyday life.
“Subconsciously, there is a reason why I might put my hand in my pocket or avoid conversations about my relationships,” Sciver said.
The pair plan to marry in the holiday home in Chamonix, which Sciver has visited since she was a child, where they got engaged.
The wedding will take place as soon as England’s series against India finishes next September.
