Caledonian Thebans RFC
 | |
| File:Saltire flag in the shape of a rugby ball | |
| Club information | |
|---|---|
| Full name | Caledonian Thebans Rugby Football Club |
| Nickname(s) | The Thebans |
| Colours | Navy Blue and White |
| Founded | 18 May 2002 |
| Website | http://www.thebans-rfc.co.uk/ |
| Current details | |
| Ground(s) |
|
| Chairman | Robert Forrester |
| Coach | Clark Campbell |
| Captain | Nick Smith |
| Competition | Union Cup, Bingham Cup |
Caledonian Thebans Rugby Football Club, formerly Edinburgh Thebans Rugby Football Club, is an Edinburgh-based rugby union club. They are Scotland's first gay-friendly rugby club, and currently the only one in the country.[1]
They take part in the Union Cup, a biennial European, non-professional, gay rugby union tournament, as well as the Bingham Cup, an international gay "world cup". Members and players come from all over Scotland, including Aberdeen and Berwick-upon-Tweed.[1]
History
The Caledonian Thebans is the first gay and bisexual friendly rugby club for men in Scotland. The club came to life on 18 May 2002 when Colm Cunningham, a gay man from Northern Ireland, put up a poster in the Laughing Duck, a now defunct Edinburgh gay bar. Since its beginnings the club has aimed to provide the means and facilities for gay and bi men, who are serious about playing rugby or learning the game, to do so in a safe and supportive environment. The team is primarily aimed at gay and bisexual men but is open to men of any sexuality.
Affiliation
The Thebans are affiliated to the Scottish Rugby Union, Edinburgh and District Rugby Union, and are part of the International Gay Rugby Association and Board.[1][2]
Name
The name is a reference to the Sacred Band of Thebes,[1] an elite and highly successful military unit in the Theban army of ancient Greece, which was made up of male couples.[3] The Sacred Band of Thebes was completely annihilated, however, by Alexander the Great under Philip II of Macedon in the Battle of Chaeronea in 338 BC.[3]
External links
- Official Page
- International Gay Rugby Association and Board — official website
- Eurogayrugbyclubhouse
- Union Cup - Official site
References
- ^ a b c d Official page "About Us" retrieved 27 July 2009
- ^ IGRAB members retrieved 27 July 2009
- ^ a b Paul Walter Ludwig, Eros and Polis: Desire and Community in Greek Political Theory. Cambridge, 2002.
 | This Scottish rugby union team article is a stub. You can help Wikipedia by expanding it. |