SPORTS GAY
There is a general belief that ‘gay’ and ’sports’ is an oxymoron, but if the success of Ireland’s Outhouse Sports Forum is anything to go by, it’s a myth without foundation. Why not get fit this year by joining one of the many gay sports groups on the go?
Were you last to be picked for the soccer team at school? Whether you were the captain or that kid in the corner who no one wanted on their side, the perception of all gay people is that we just don’t do sports. The stereotype dictates that not only are we not interested in competitive games, but that we’re not very good at them, despite the open sexuality of world sports champions like Martina Navratilova and Greg Louganis.
Considering the number of gay sports groups that have sprung up in Ireland over the past couple of years, it’s a stereotype that couldn’t be further from the truth. From big, beautiful rugby players to lithe football kickers, from stealthy athletes to dextrous tennis hitters, there are more gay people getting involved in dedicated sports organisations in this country than ever before.
Last autumn, in response to the rise sports groups for gay people in Ireland, the Outhouse Sports Forum was formed. The purpose of the group is to get the different sports groups together for support and for exchanging ideas. The Sports Forum are also working on securing funding in order to be able to publicise current sports activities in the gay community, as well as supporting new initiatives.
The Forum includes representatives from the Phoenix Tigers women’s football club, the Dublin Devils men’s football club, the Emerald Warriors rugby club, out4tennis, the Out & About Walking Group, Dublin Front Runners, along with Outhouse, the BeLonG To youth project and Dublin City Council.
A particular event to look forward to in 2007 is the GFSN cup on June 9 and 10, which will be by Dublin Devils, not to mention the L Cup lesbian golfing championship this coming St Patrick’s weekend. And come summer 2008, the Emerald Warriors will be hosting the Bingham World Gay Rugby Cup in Dublin city, the biggest gay sporting event of its kind in Europe.
Of course, the greatest thing about gay sporting organisations, clubs and events is the opportunity they give for likeminded lesbians, gay men, bisexuals and transgendered people to meet and form social friendships beyond the playing field. Getting involved in gay sports is a great way to increase your self-confidence, because not only do you get to have fun, competitive or otherwise, you get to form solid bonds with your queer peers. With a gay social scene that’s increasingly being limited to pubs and clubs, its wonder gay sports are taking off like never before.
Here’s a guide to gay sporting organisations in Ireland, what they’ve been doing over the past few months and how you can become part of the action.
THE DUBLIN DEVILS FC
In April of 2006, Ireland’s premiere gay men’s football team participated 2006 London Football for All event. A dedicated bunch of merry men headed over for the Devils’ first competitive tournament and reached the semi-finals, providing great preparation for their next major tournament in Chicago at the 2006 Gay Games.
22 team players travelled to the windy city for the Games and amid much fun and celebration, the team reached the quarter finals on the field. According to the Devils, some of the players score several goals in their love lives too.
The following month eight dedicated devils ventured over to Manchester for the Annual Pride Games where they reached the semi finals only to be beaten by World Champions, Stonewall FC.
Other Dublin Devils fixtures during 2006 included a weekend away and a ‘friendly’ game in the Sligo Rovers grounds, an auction of players and an amateur strip show to launch the Devil’s new jerseys at The George, and playing every Thursday night in a domestic, straight league, where plenty of good goals were scored.
2007 is a big year for the Dublin Devils. The team has been chosen by the UK Gay Football Supporters Network (GFSN) to host their annual cup in Dublin next June. A total of ten teams from the UK will be travelling to participate and it promises to be a wild event.
But before that, on January 27, GFC Bournemouth will travel to Dublin to participate in an International friendly with the Devils at 2pm in DCU.
In July the Devils will travel to Antwerp and participate in the Euro Games and in September they will participate in the World Championship games in Buenos Aires, Argentina.
New members and supporters are always welcome in the Dublin Devils irrespective of football abilities. Anyone interested in joining the club either as a player, supporter, administrator, first aid, referee and so on are all more than welcome.
Contact the Dublin Devils at 086 805 9443 or email dublindevilsfc@gmail.com
DUBLIN FRONTRUNNERS
Dublin FrontRunners is a club for gay men and women who love running. The club is affiliated with the International FrontRunners organisation and are therefore part of an increasingly large network.
The group consists of some serious racers, marathon runners and recreational joggers, who have participated in races, fun runs and marathons all around the world from South Africa to New York and the Aran Islands to name but a few.
The club is open to all levels of fitness, although it helps if you’ve run further than to catch a bus! They meet on Wednesday evenings and Saturday mornings in the Phoenix Park, for runs varying in length from 4 to 6 miles.
Of course it’s not all about running – the emphasis is on having fun, socialising and making friends. The Dublin FrontRunners runs are usually followed by brunch or drinks and they also have regular social outings.
They also travelled to Manchester last year to run and meet with the Manchester FrontRunners and are looking forward to a return visit by them in 2007.
The club offers a great opportunity to get fit, keep fit, have a laugh and make new friends. New members are always welcome.
Contact Dublin FrontRunners bye emailing Mark at dublinfrontrunners@eircom.net
OUT & ABOUT HIKING GROUP
Hiking is an ideal way to meet people, chat and keep fit too. Founded in 1989, the Out & About Hiking Group is a club for members of the community, their families and friends. An above-average level of fitness is required to be part of this club, as weather on the mountains can often be cold, wet and windy. All walkers must have walking boots, rain gear, a packed lunch and a change of clothes for after the walk.
Walks take place each Sunday of the year – meeting at 10.00am at the National Concert Hall, Earlsfort Terrace, Dublin 2. Transport is provided in members’ cars – of which there is never any shortage.
There is no charge for hikes or transport. Annual membership of the Mountaineering Council of Ireland is taken out by regular walkers only, and is not expected of newcomers.
During the winter, walks are confined to the Dublin/Wicklow Mountains. In summer the group ranges further a field to the Mournes, Cooleys, Blackstairs and Sliabh na mBan. The summer allows for some flat walking too, along the coast and canal towpaths (with optional swimming) for those who find mountains too exhausting. All walks finish up in the pub for a drink or two, before heading back to Dublin.
Out & About organise two weekends away each year (Easter and Halloween) for some hiking around the rest of Ireland. Other events on the calendar include an annual dinner, beach barbeque at Gormanstown and a Christmas party. Twice a year, the group links up with the Cork Gay Hillwalkers and the Out & About (Northern Ireland) group for weekends away.
The group largely comprises men at present, and more women are encouraged to join up. Between 15 and 30 hikers turn up each Sunday – from all age groups.
For more information on the Out & About Hiking Group, including full details of the hikes visit www.gay-hiking.org or contact Michael Dillon at 087 677 4002
THE PHOENIX TIGERS
The Phoenix Tigers are Dublin’s only lesbian soccer team. They play in the winter on Astro in Larkin Community College, off O’Connell St on Champions Ave and in the summer they play in the Phoenix Park.
The Phoenix Tigers do not play league soccer. Instead they aim to provide a comfortable space for girls to play soccer and have fun. They do, however, play select tournaments throughout the year and host a five-a-side competition in March. Next year they are hoping to play their first international tournament.
Recently the Phoenix Tigers launched a calendar with their own members as models and half the proceeds are going towards Action Breast Cancer. The calendar is for sale for Û20 in Outhouse and other gay venues.
The Tigers always look forward to meeting new players.
For more information on the Phoenix Tigers visit www.phoenixtigers.com or contact Olga on 087 837 4735
THE EMERALD WARRIORS
Having secured the Bingham World Gay Rugby Cup for Dublin in June 2008, an and scored major corporate sponsorship for the event, the Emerald Warriors are Ireland’s best-known gay sports club, if not our most successful.
Although the Warriors are focused on making the Bingham Cup in Dublin the most successful European gay sporting event ever, they’re still getting down to the business of the day during 2007, and that means playing rugby.
Training takes place on Mondays and Thursdays at 7:00pm at Tymon Park in Tallaght, and since the Warriors are members of the Irish Rugby Football Union, plenty of fixtures come up during the season.
The social life surrounding the Emerald Warriors is second to none and there is a real sense of friendship in the organisation, with fun events and nights out regularly on the agenda.
The Emerald Warriors are always looking to recruit new members. They provide a facility for players of all ages and abilities to learn and develop the skills to play rugby. It doesn’t matter that you haven’t played rugby before, nor does it matter that you have never participated in team sport.
The Warriors’ fitness and rugby coaches will help you get in shape and build up your skills, with a view to you becoming part of the team.
For more information on the Emerald Warriors, visit www.emeraldwarriorsrfc.com or call 087 242 4977
OUT4TENNIS
OUT4TENNIS is Ireland’s LGBT tennis network bringing together players and supporters from around Ireland for regular tournaments. The group was formed in 2005 when the first tournament was held in Tipperary. Ivan Woodward (Class 3, Stackallen LTC) won the inaugural tournament and he feels that OUT4TENNIS is an ideal way to continue playing with his own club while also playing regularly with other gay players.
Commenting on the recent Christmas Tournament held at West Wood, Dublin, Ivan says, “It brought together over 30 players and an increasing number of competitive Class 3-6 players. The standard was very good – no prizes for me this time though the social side is excellent too!”
OUT4TENNIS is not just only for regular club players – Sean Curran, who just started playing tennis a few months ago, travelled from Galway for the Christmas tournament. Says Sean: “Coming 2nd in the Division C ’round robin’, I was delighted to play against players of similar standard”.
OUT4TENNIS is looking at the feasibility of launching women’s/mixed tournaments in 2007. Olga Short, who also plays with the Phoenix Tigers FC, is keen to try her hand. Says Olga: “There are already a number of women interested and, with a few more women, I’m sure there is potential to do a women’s/mixed event soon”.
For information on OUT4TENNIS visit www.Out4tennis.com or text/call 087 765 1366
THE L CUP LESBIAN GOLF TOURNAMENT
Lesbians and golf seem to go together like Portia and Ellen so it’s about time Ireland had its own lesbian golf tournament. Lydia Hall, organiser of The L Cup thinks so, but acknowledges that the golf is really an excuse to have a bit of a shindig. “I’ve never played a game of golf in my life, I play soccer with the Phoenix Tigers, but friends have and I thought, why don’t we try to organise something?”
“We wanted to have an event that’s not in Dublin for a change, to get people from all over to come and have a bit of a club night, play a few rounds of golf if they want to and have a good time.”
The inaugural event takes place from March 16 to 18 at the Ramada Hotel and Suites Ballykisteen Co. Tipperary, with its excellent 18-hole golf course, surrounded by the Galtee mountains. Lydia is quick to point out, though, that if you’re a golf widow you can enjoy the spa facilities while your other half plays with her niblick.
“We want everyone to have a good time and for this to be the beginning of a whole new golf championship for women. Everyone is welcome, male, female, gay and straight but only lesbians will be considered for the coveted cup and prize!
Source: gcn.ie