It’s a chilly Wednesday evening at the Ferraro Fields in Griffith Park, and about 50 rugby players are in the middle of practice.
On one side of the field, the bigger players work on scrums. A group of 16 guys form a tight huddle –– the sound of grunts and yells emanate as eight people on opposing sides push against each other.
On the other side, the speedier guys practice passing and breaking through defenders. One of the players gets the ball and runs at two defenders attempting to bring him down –– one tackles him at the waist, the other drags at his feet.
Members of the Los Angeles Rebellion, a recreational rugby club, are training for their upcoming match –– and they’re taking it seriously, like they always do. By the end of practice, everyone is tired and aching, with mud streaks all over their clothes.
A Rebellion player breaks through a defender attempting a tackle. Photo credit: Andrew Thill Photography
The Rebellion is a club for athletes who enjoy the regimen and competition of being a part of a sports team. It’s also an intentionally inclusive club –– and most of their players identify as queer.
The team offers a safe space for queer athletes to enjoy the perks of organized sports, without the toxic masculinity that is often present in straight sports settings.
“Inclusive rugby challenges what some might assume about masculinity and femininity,” says Eric Anderson, president of The Rebellion. “[It challenges] how people present themselves and what we assume about each other.”
The club has become a platform where queer folks around Los Angeles are meeting their people outside of nightlife settings.
“I wanted to have a community that's not exclusive to a gay bar,” says Jose Flores. He’s been with the Rebellion for a couple of years, and found community through the club.
“I'm inspired to read more because some of us like to read a lot, or I'm inspired to be more free-spirited because some of us are wacky and kooky,” he says.
The Rebellion attempt a line-out, when the ball is put back in play after going out of bounds. Photo credit: Andrew Thill Photography
In May, the Rebellion will travel to Rome for the Bingham Cup, where they’ll join 180 other inclusive clubs from around the globe for the “world cup” of queer rugby.
It’s a testament to how much queer rugby has grown. When the Rebellion was founded in 2001, they were the eighth recognized inclusive club at the time.
For Gabriel Galluccio, one of the co-founders, creating the club was about escaping a tough environment. He played rugby competitively in the 1980s, at a time when there was widespread fear of touching anyone who might carry HIV, especially gay men.
“It was hard coming from the AIDS epidemic into a contact sport, like rugby, for me as a player,” he says.
Galluccio’s now 61, and still practices with the team. In past decades, he’s witnessed how much queer acceptance and representation has improved.
“Today, I see this new generation being able to just play…it makes me incredibly happy,” he says.