There’ll be naught but rainbows town-wide.

Up to 40 AFL Women’s players are headed south to Victoria’s Hamilton to go head to head in the name of love, acceptance, visibility, and inclusion.

A range of trailblazers in the LGBTIQ community will kick the day off with a luncheon and forum before the games, including blogger Uncanny Annie, and actor and comedian Tegan Higginbotham.

Melbourne University will face off against the Darebin Falcons before the Hamilton Kangaroos take on South Warrnambool.

And celebrations aren’t just restricted to the field; the entire town is sporting rainbow everything to mark the occasion.

“A group of locals and myself started a competition for the best rainbow decorations and it just went viral,” said founder Charles Beaton. “And it wasn’t just crepe paper; people came out with actual meaningful displays.”

Beaton, a Hamilton native whose brother, Lachlan, hid his sexuality until he was 27, says that events like these are crucial in making sure those in the LGBTIQ community in rural areas feel welcome.

“It’s crazy that people hide their sexuality. Like, I know why they do it, obviously, but it’s crazy that they have to… We want to shed some light on the mental health struggles associated with it in country areas.”

“We want stories to be told.”