rugby ‣ The Gayly Mirror

Start your week with a sporting endeavour – which also explores mental health and the importance of community. STEELERS (currently on Amazon Prime) tells the story of the ‘world’s first gay rugby club’, which was set up in 1995 in London’s Kings Cross. There are now 60 such clubs around the world and every two years they gather for the world tournament of gay rugby, the Bingham Cup. The film is made by one of the club’s former players, Australian reporter Eammon Ashton-Atkinson, who decided to document his team’s endeavours after a concussion meant he couldn’t play. He himself found the club when he moved to London from Australia, struggling with depression, and found a team which welcomed him, helped him get fit again and, ultimately, introduced him to his future husband. As well a...

Rugby has always been a very inclusive sport, one of the most open-minded team-sports, and a new player - Jack Dunne - comes out publicly about his sexuality. The player for Irish team Leinster discussed his sexuality in a recent Pride-themed webinar for his team's YouTube page, and speaking to TV presenter Craig Doyle, 22-year-old Jack said he's actually been "out as bisexual for four or five years now - but not out in the media." https://www.youtube.com/watch?time_continue=1&v=-6coYqePYHQ&feature=emb_logo In a following interview with the Independent.ie he added: "I kind of realised when I was 15 or 16, but you are in a school full of teenage boys. [...] A lot of them would say things that they wouldn't even be thinking about, but they are just doing it out of ignorance....

Tag: rugby

Film recommendation – Steelers

Jack Dunne – Irish Pro-Rugby player – publicly comes out as bisexual