Sports
Nice and rough
Renegades have squads for competitive and recreational rugby
The Washington Renegades at last year’s pride. (Washington Blade file photo by Michael Key)
Washington is home to the Washington Renegades, a Division III rugby union football club. They are members of the Potomac Rugby Union and USA Rugby.
Established in 1998 by Mark Hertzog, the Renegades were the first men’s rugby club in the United States to actively recruit gay men and men of color. Its mission is to learn, teach and play rugby along with forging new friendships, celebrating differences and giving back to the community.
The current member base of the Renegades (dcrugby.com) is around 45 players with an age range from 20s to 50s. Members have two seasons and the group is divided into two squads.
The fall season runs from August to November and consists of league matches within the Potomac Rugby Union. The Reds squad is their developmental team and plays matches within the league on an exhibition basis.
The Blues squad is the competitive squad whose players compete for a chance to advance from the Potomac Rugby Union to the regional championships within the Mid Atlantic Rugby Union. From there, winners can advance to the USA Rugby national championships which are contested in May each year.
The spring season consists of friendly matches within the International Gay Rugby Association and Board. This group sponsors the Bingham Cup which is held every two years and is named for Mark Bingham.
Bingham was a former Association rugby player from California and a passenger on the 9-11 United Airlines Flight 93 which crashed near Shanksville, Pa., as those aboard tried to take control of the aircraft from the hijackers. Many experts believe the aircraft was headed for impact at the Capitol Building or the White House.
The Renegades feel a special connection with Bingham who had participated in tournaments that they had hosted in D.C. They have competed in every Bingham Cup since its inception with the next tournament being held in Sydney, Australia in 2014.
The Renegades frequently travel and have played tournaments in such varied places as New York, Dublin, Charlotte, San Francisco and Manchester. The Renegades Reds squad is the two time defending champions of Hellfest in Dallas.
“There is a false stereotype in the sport of Rugby,” says Renegades President Ned Kieloch. “Most people believe that all rugby players are big and burly. The best teams consist of players of all shapes and sizes.”
The Renegades do their recruiting of various sized players through events at sports bars and gyms as well as through Team D.C.’s Sportsfest.
To groom new players, the Renegades offer Rugby 101 clinics, skills clinics and one-on-one coaching to develop player skills.
“Some of the rookies we have recruited have gone on to become real contributors on our competitive squads,” Kieloch says.
The Renegades have a long and varied history of giving back to the community. In past years they have been involved in things such as toy drives, food drives, 9-11 fundraisers and skills clinics for kids.
“The mix of straight and gay players on the Renegades squad has resulted in our straight players being wonderful advocates for the LGBT community,” Kieloch says. “Together, we build bridges.”
The spring season for the Renegades will kick off with practice at Cardozo High School on Tuesday.
The first tournament of the season will be on March 23 in New York City as they compete in the Four Leaf 15s Tournament. The event will draw about 1,500 players from overseas and domestically.
Sports
‘Heated Rivalry’ stars to participate in Olympic torch relay
Games to take place next month in Italy
“Heated Rivalry” stars Hudson Williams and Connor Storrie will participate in the Olympic torch relay ahead of the 2026 Winter Olympics that will take place next month in Italy.
HBO Max, which distributes “Heated Rivalry” in the U.S., made the announcement on Thursday in a press release.
The games will take place in Milan and Cortina from Feb. 6-22. The HBO Max announcement did not specifically say when Williams and Storrie will participate in the torch relay.
The Washington Capitals will host Pride Night on Saturday, Jan. 17, when they host the Florida Panthers at Capital One Arena. A special ticket offer featuring a Pride-themed Capitals rainbow jersey is available at washcaps.com.
Fans are invited to a pre-game Block Party at District E beginning at 5 p.m. The event will feature a performance by the band NovaKane. Specialty happy hour food and beverages will be available, as well as giveaways. There will also be a presence by several local LGBTQ+ community organizations.
Egypt
Iran, Egypt object to playing in Seattle World Cup ‘Pride Match’
Game to take place on June 26
Iran and Egypt have objected to playing in a “Pride Match” that will take place in Seattle during the 2026 World Cup.
The Egyptian Football Association on Tuesday said it told FIFA Secretary General Mattias Grafström in a letter that “it categorically rejects holding any activities related to supporting (homosexuality) during the match between the Egyptian national team and Iran, scheduled to be held in Seattle, USA, on June 26, 2026, in the third round of the group stage of the 2026 World Cup.” Football Federation Islamic Republic of Iran President Mehdi Taj told ISNA, a semi-official Iranian news agency that both his country and Egypt “protested this issue.”
The 2026 World Cup will take place in the U.S., Canada, and Mexico. The draw took place at the Kennedy Center on Dec. 5.
Iran is among the handful of countries in which consensual same-sex sexual relations remain punishable by death.
The State Department’s 2023 human rights report notes that while Egyptian law “did not explicitly criminalize consensual same-sex sexual activity, authorities regularly arrested and prosecuted LGBTQI+ persons on charges including ‘debauchery,’ prostitution, and ‘violating family values.’” Egyptian authorities “also reportedly prosecuted LGBTQI+ individuals for ‘misuse of social media.’”
“This resulted in de facto criminalization of same-sex conduct and identity,” notes the report.
The 2024 human rights report the State Department released earlier this year did not include LGBTQ-specific references.
Soccer has ‘unique power to unite people across borders, cultures, and beliefs’
The June 26 match between Iran and Egypt coincides with Seattle Pride. The Washington Post reported the Seattle FIFA World Cup 2026 Local Organizing Committee decided to hold the “Pride Match” before last week’s draw.
“As the Local Organizing Committee, SeattleFWC26’s role is to prepare our city to host the matches and manage the city experience outside of Seattle Stadium,” said SeattleFWC26 Vice President of Communications Hana Tadesse in a statement the committee sent to the Washington Blade on Wednesday. “SeattleFWC26 is moving forward as planned with our community programming outside the stadium during Pride weekend and throughout the tournament, partnering with LGBTQ+ leaders, artists, and business owners to elevate existing Pride celebrations across Washington.”
“Football has a unique power to unite people across borders, cultures, and beliefs,” added Tadeese. “The Pacific Northwest is home to one of the nation’s largest Iranian-American communities, a thriving Egyptian diaspora, and rich communities representing all nations we’re hosting in Seattle. We’re committed to ensuring all residents and visitors experience the warmth, respect, and dignity that defines our region.”
The 2034 World Cup will take place in Saudi Arabia.
Consensual same-sex sexual relations remain punishable by death in the country. The 2022 World Cup took place in neighboring Qatar, despite concerns over the country’s anti-LGBTQ rights record.
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