Lucian Dieterman, left, and Von Allena of the Washington Renegades. (Photo by Kevin Majoros)

In a nod to what can happen when communities band together, the Blade shines a light on the LGBT-inclusive Washington Renegades RFC in the ongoing series on the rookies and veterans who make up local LGBT sports teams.

Though they are composed of roughly 70 percent straight players, the Renegades are known to be one of the first men’s rugby clubs in the United States to actively recruit gay players.

Its members compete within the Capital Rugby Union and USA Rugby and field two teams in the Mid-Atlantic Conference league. They also travel to tournaments including gay run tournaments such as the Dallas Diablos Hellfest and the Bingham Cup.

At the Bingham Cup in Nashville last month, the Renegades fielded three teams in three separate divisions. The Renegades A team made it to the final four and the Renegades C team played its way to the final of its division. The Renegades B team won its division to take the Mark Bingham Shield.

With diversity playing a big part of their make-up, we take a look at a straight rookie and a gay veteran who both competed at the recent Bingham Cup.

Lucian Dieterman grew up in Lake City, Minn., and played all kinds of sports including soccer, baseball, track & field, pick-up ice hockey and snowboarding. While he was earning his degree in international relations at the University of Minnesota, he played club soccer.

His rugby career started last year when he was abroad in Amman, Jordan and a friend invited him to play in a sevens tournament. He joined the Renegades in February and moved up from its B team to A team before separating his shoulder in late April.

“At 23 years old, I am one of the youngest players on the team and the veterans have been very helpful with working on my basics and fundamentals,” Dieterman says. “They take their rugby seriously and are the first ones to tell me to pick my head up.”

As for playing with gay teammates, Dieterman says he enjoys being a part of a diverse community.

“One of our gay veterans is really high energy,” Dieterman says, “and the first time he screamed ‘Yes, girl,’ on the field to me during practice, I immediately fell in love with the team.”

Competing at his first Bingham Cup last month, Dieterman enjoyed meeting players from all over the world. It reminded him a lot of the soccer tournaments he used to play in except for one big difference.

“There is a kind of spirit behind playing in a diverse community. Most of my past team experiences were filled with misogyny,” Dieterman says. “In this situation, no one really cares where you come from because they are there to play rugby. It’s refreshing.”

Born in the Philippines and raised in Northvale, N.J., Von Allena didn’t play any sports except for being an unwilling participant in his brother’s martial arts training. While he was attending American University, his extracurricular focus was on the arts and his a cappella group.

After graduating college, Allena found he was missing something in terms of his circle of friends.

“I wanted to do something on my own and find a new community,” Allena says. “I looked up sports and picked the most uncomfortable sport I saw, which was rugby.”

Allena joined the Renegades in 2012 and plays in both its spring and fall leagues. At first he wasn’t sure if rugby was for him, but he wasn’t going to quit.

“It wasn’t an instant connection for me,” Allena says. “Four years later I have definitely fallen in love with the sport.”

Allena is the starting hook position on the Renegades B team and has competed in tournaments in Seattle and Dallas along with Bingham Cups in Nashville and Manchester, England.

“The best way to get experience with the team is to travel to the tournaments with them,” Allena says. “It’s also the best way to bond with your teammates.”

Rookie players on the Renegades teams are paired off with a veteran player, but it’s never clear if the newbie will stay or go.

“If we know they are going to drink the Kool-Aid, then we spend extra time with them,” Allena says. “I usually target the shy guys. The extroverts are pretty good at taking care of themselves.”

Fitness is also an important part of being a Renegade with players scrimmaging against each other at practice. The players are taught how to hit and be hit without being injured. It is rugby though, and injuries do happen.

“I was carried off the field with a knee injury at a tournament and was told I had bruised my fat pad,” Allena says laughing. “When my teammates asked what happened, I tried to gloss it over by saying it wasn’t a fat pad; I am just big-boned and husky.”