The Straffe Ketten rugby club is issuing its first calendar this year, having the official launch party taking place in Brussels this Saturday 19th November 2011. They will encounter the Stockholm gay team on the same weekend.
Far away from the cliché of French national XV de France, this 100% home-made calendar (Photography work by Iker & Jens – both of them members of the club) simply reflects the rugby world of a local club in its associated moments and values such as friendship, victory, scrum, tries and…shower time of course. The collected funds will help them finance their travel expenses to join Manchester’s Bingham Cup, the world gay rugby clubs cup, in June 2012.
Founded in April 2010, this nearly 2 years old club which counts 45 active members today was born from the meeting of Jean-Yves, already from Brussels Gay Sport, a few of his friends and experienced American trainer Graham who has already coached in Brussels Celtic since 1998. Since their inaugural practice on 8 April 2010, the Straffe Ketten (‘Strong guys’ in Brussels dialect) have already aligned numerous outcomes: winner of Lisbon Pitch Beach tournament in 2010 & 2011, 4th out of 6 in the XV’ Union Cup s tournament 2011,6 full XV’s matches between November 2011 and May 2011 against local teams…and more to come.
But their involvement is also to be found in local LGBT events such as Belgian LGBT pride, “Swim4Life“ swimming marathon against AIDS which I will post about very soon and various fundraising parties.
Among its 2011 perspectives, the club wants to attract around 20 new players this year, play at least 1 game per month outside the gay rugby scene, host LGBT teams and get involved more actively in LGTB events reaching out to schools and sports clubs to make them aware of the need to fight homophobia.
The calendar is rumored to already be sold out by tomorrow…so click here to pre-oder it if you want to have a chance to get your copy.
More info about the Straffe Ketten can be found on their website or by joining their Facebook page
Image source: Straffe Ketten
