Vinny Ah Sam says learning rugby was intimidating at first. (Photo by Zack Kreiter)

This week in the Washington Blade series on the rookie and veteran players that compete on the LGBT sports teams in the D.C. area, we focus on two gay athletes from the Washington Scandals rugby team.

The Scandals were formed in 2013 when overcrowding on other local rugby teams was preventing interested players from competing in the sport. They are not playing in a league and have created a niche lining up games with teams from the Eastern seaboard and competing in tournaments.

They are currently between seasons and going through conditioning training. Their first rookie camp session for the new season will be held on Aug. 15.

Vinny Ah Sam joined the team in May after Scandals president Sean Cunningham invited him to see what the team was all about.

“I got there for my first practice and was really intimidated,” Ah Sam says. “I had never played a full-contact sport and they were really scary.”

Ah Sam grew up in El Sobrante, Calif., and played multiple sports growing up including baseball and basketball. His main sport from age 10 on was swimming and he swam for two years at Diablo Valley College.

He moved to D.C. when his fiancé Zach took a job here in 2013 and he is currently taking classes to earn a degree in surgical technology at Montgomery College and working as a lifeguard and swim instructor.

Ah Sam learned the basics of rugby playing on the beach in California with his college swim team and that experience set him up for a quick integration into the sport.

“Actually competing in the sport is a whole new experience for me and I absolutely love it,” Ah Sam says. “The veterans have been pushing me to be the best that I can be.”

Another plus for Ah Sam is his background in sports medicine and athletic training which allows him to be involved in occasionally setting up workouts and treating injured teammates.

“I really like the whole experience of being a part of this team,” Ah Sam says. “During a match, I feel really useful when I take someone down and defend the try zone.”

Brendan Raden had a friend on the Scandals when they formed in early 2013 and joined the team  in July, 2013.

“People have this idea of what rugby is and then that idea just sits in their mind until they actually play,” Raden says. “Even though I had never played, I loved it immediately.”

Raden grew up in Rockville and Damascus, Md., and attended college at the University of Delaware. Growing up he played baseball and lacrosse but didn’t compete in college.

“I played volleyball and ultimate Frisbee recreationally and refereed for intramurals,” Raden says. “Sports were not a priority for me then and I regret that now.”

Raden is currently a full-time student at University of Maryland working toward two more degrees, English literature and secondary English education. This time he is also deeply involved in his sport.

Brendan Raden says he’s always excited to see new Scandals members. (Photo courtesy Raden)

By the end of 2013 he was the captain of the team and has also been the coach of the team since 2014 after getting his coach’s certification.

“That was frightening since I had only been playing for just over a year,” Raden says.

Raden jumped right into the leadership role and realized that they were constantly teaching the basics over and over. The team subsequently created a rookie camp to help beginners learn the sport.

“Most other teams have a one-time rookie 101 day clinic where they go over the basics. It is detached and without context,” Raden says. “We have three rookie camps where the veterans come in to play with the rookies and go over the scenarios. It is a no-pressure, comfortable environment.”

Raden says rookies are everything for the team.

“You need the numbers to keep the team going and to keep improving. Whenever I see a new player, I say to myself, ‘Ah yes, here is somebody new. Fantastic.’”

Coming up for the fall season, the Scandals have four-to-five confirmed matches lined up and tournaments in Charlotte and Atlanta.

“I didn’t join this team to find friends. I just wanted to play a really cool sport,” Raden says. “It turned out that the guys on the team are my closest friends. It has been pretty incredible.”