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Phoenix club
admitted to rugby union
The gay
Phoenix Storm rugby team has gained associate member
status in
Arizona Rugby Union.
 Ted
Rybka, representative from the Phoenix Storm, said in
seeking the status, “We are the Phoenix Storm. We are a
predominately gay rugby team, but we do have a few
straights. So I guess you could say we really are equal
opportunity. We have been around for two years and have
even played a few of your teams. We belong to the
International Gay Ruby Association and Board and in June
2008 we will be heading to Dublin to represent Arizona. We
would like to really represent the state of Arizona by being
an associate member of the Arizona Rugby Union.”
The Arizona Rugby Union had very little
discussion on the petition and voted the Phoenix Storm
unanimously in as an Associate Member. Associate Member
status means that the Phoenix Storm will be guaranteed six
union matches and participation at all union meetings.
The
Phoenix Storm is a diverse rugby team open to men of any
sexual orientation, race, age or experience level. The
Phoenix Storm began in the summer of 2004 and played its
first game the following March. Not a single player on the
team had ever played a game of rugby prior to that day. The
following season, the Phoenix Storm began playing friendly
matches with teams in the union from Tucson, Cave Creek,
Tempe, and Thunderbird Academy.
Head Coach Phill Barber said, "Being accepted
into the ARU is a huge step for our team as it signals that
we are ready to play rugby at a higher more competitive
level. This is an exciting time for Storm Rugby -- joining
the local Union and going to the Bingham Cup in Dublin,
Ireland representing Arizona and the USA in only our third
year is testament to the entire team, coaching staff and
supporters."
Phoenix Storm belongs to the
International Gay Rugby
Association and Board , which consists of 36 teams
worldwide, half of them in the United States.
IGRAB sponsors a the biennial
Bingham Cup. In its first showing of the tournament in 2006
the Phoenix Storm placed seventh in its division beating
Amsterdam, San Francisco B and Toronto. Phoenix Storm will
be traveling in June to Dublin, Ireland to
participate in 2008’s Bingham Cup in Dublin, Ireland.
The Storm
hosts a "Thirsty Thursdays-Meet The Rugger's Night" at
Roscoe's, every Thursday at 9 p.m.
June 18, 2007
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