Nashville Grizzlies RFC
Encyclopedia
Name | Nashville Grizzlies Rugby Football Club |
Mascot | Grizzly bear Grizzly Bear The grizzly bear , also known as the silvertip bear, the grizzly, or the North American brown bear, is a subspecies of brown bear that generally lives in the uplands of western North America... |
Colors | Navy blue, maroon, & gold |
Founded | 2006 |
Motto | Tecum Fratre |
Sport | Rugby Union Football Rugby union Rugby union, often simply referred to as rugby, is a full contact team sport which originated in England in the early 19th century. One of the two codes of rugby football, it is based on running with the ball in hand... |
Union | MidSouth Rugby Football Union MidSouth Rugby Football Union The Mid South Rugby Union is the Local Area Union for rugby union teams in Tennessee and portions of Kentucky and Arkansas.-Men's Clubs:* Chattanooga* Hopkinsville Headhunters* Huntsville* Johnson City* Knoxville* Little Rock... |
Website | www.GrizzliesRugby.org |
Nashville Grizzlies RFC (Rugby Football Club) is a men's rugby union
Rugby union
Rugby union, often simply referred to as rugby, is a full contact team sport which originated in England in the early 19th century. One of the two codes of rugby football, it is based on running with the ball in hand...
football club in Nashville, Tennessee. The club was formed in 2006 to bring the sport to typically under-represented populations (specifically gay men) although it welcomes anyone interested in the sport. The club is made up of approximately 90 members (as of March, 2011) consisting of both active players, as well as non-playing Auxiliary members.
Local
The club competes locally within Division III of the MidSouth Rugby Football UnionMidSouth Rugby Football Union
The Mid South Rugby Union is the Local Area Union for rugby union teams in Tennessee and portions of Kentucky and Arkansas.-Men's Clubs:* Chattanooga* Hopkinsville Headhunters* Huntsville* Johnson City* Knoxville* Little Rock...
, a local area union within the USA Rugby South
USA Rugby South
The USA Rugby South is the Territorial Union for rugby union teams playing in the Southern United States. It is one of seven TU's that govern specific regions of USA Rugby.-LAU's:...
territorial union, itself part of USA Rugby
USA Rugby
USA Rugby is the national governing body for the sport of rugby union in the United States. It is divided into seven territorial Unions: Mid-Atlantic, Midwest, Northeast, Pacific Coast, Southern California, South, and West...
.
National/International
The club is also a member club of the International Gay Rugby Association & BoardInternational Gay Rugby Association and Board
International Gay Rugby Association and Board is the umbrella organization for the world's gay rugby clubs. It is dedicated to encouraging lesbians and gay men everywhere to play rugby...
(IGRAB), an umbrella organization for gay rugby clubs worldwide. As an IGRAB member, the club plays against other member clubs across the United States and internationally in one-on-one matches and in formal and informal tournaments.
In October of 2010, the club played in the Hellfest tournament, hosted by the Dallas Diablos RFC. The team placed fourth out of a field of eight teams. May 2011 saw the Grizzlies competing in the Chicago Dragons Midwest Invitational tournament, placing fourth of seven teams.
The team has twice competed in IGRAB's Mark Kendall Bingham Memorial Tournament
Mark Kendall Bingham Memorial Tournament
The Mark Kendall Bingham Memorial Tournament or the Bingham Cup is a biennial international, non-professional, gay rugby union tournament, first held in 2002...
(aka, the Bingham Cup), the gay rugby union world cup. Club members playing as part of the World Barbarians side won the Plate Division at the 2008 tournament in Dublin, Ireland. The club plans to compete in the 2012 Bingham Cup to be held in Manchester, England.
Social & Community Activities
Like most rugby clubs, the Nashville Grizzlies conduct and participate in a number of activities off the pitch. After each home match, the club holds a Third Half social which is open to the public and the opposing side. Club nights are held each month at one of several local bars as both social/recruiting functions and fundraisers.The club also holds an annual fun run and pub crawl (the Grizzlies Red Dress Rampage) which is a joint fundraiser for the team and for Nashville's Belcourt Theatre
Belcourt Theatre
The Belcourt Theatre is a 2-cinema theater operating in Nashville's Hillsboro Village district. It is operating by a non-profit organization, and features independent films, as well as live performances.- History :...
. The team also works with the Nashville chapter of Habitat for Humanity, and each year sponsors a roller disco party in support of Nashville Pride
Nashville Pride
Nashville Pride is a non-profit based in Nashville, Tennessee that produces a yearly LGBT Pride Festival. Nashville Pride's mission is to educate and maintain a sense of pride, community, and awareness of, about, and for GLBT people and culture in Middle Tennessee.- History :From the tapping of a...
.
External links
- Nashville Grizzlies RFC official website
- International Gay Rugby Association & Board official website