PRESS RELEASE
Cork Hellhound kicks off new inclusive team in Leeside sport
CORK, IRELAND – A new rugby club has been founded in Cork which seeks to invite and include gay, lesbian, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) players in the sport, as well as their straight friends and allies.
The Cork Hellhounds were founded this month in association with the Gay Project, a Cork-based LGBT community organisation, and training has begun already with a mixture of new and experienced players.
Cork is no stranger to gay-inclusive sports and athletic teams, with both the Cork Frontrunners and Cork Rebels FC catering to running and football enthusiasts respectively. The new rugby team, however, is a first for the province, and the Hellhounds intend to take part in the Munster domestic league over the coming months.
“This is a great moment for sport in Cork,” explained club founder, Adam O’Brien, “as there is still a perception, despite recent years of social progress on LGBT issues, that sport is one area which can be exclusive to LGBT people. Other cities have LGBT-inclusive rugby teams, including in Dublin and Belfast, and they have seen great participation from both gay players and straight friends who wish to support and get involved. We’d love to see the same experience available in Cork, and we’re already off to a good start.”
The Cork Hellhounds also intend to become members of International Gay Rugby, which organises several league competitions, including the Bingham Cup, also known as the Gay Rugby World Cup.
The Cork Hellhounds train weekly at the Glen Resource & Sports Centre on the northside of the city, and are actively inviting new players regardless of previous rugby experience. For more information, you can email hello@corkhellhounds.ie or follow @corkhellhounds on Instagram or Twitter.
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Notes to Editor:
- Adam O’Brien is founder and President of the Cork Hellhounds RFC. He is available for interview.
- Scott De Buitléir is Vice President of the Cork Hellhounds RFC. He is available for interviews in either Irish or English.
- The Gay Project is a Cork-based community organisation that works to ensure that gay, bisexual, trans and queer men are enabled to participate fully in Ireland’s social, economic, cultural, political and artistic life.
