Cork Hellhounds Win in Historic Début at Gay Rugby World Cup

Cork Hellhounds win the Challenger Cup at this year’s IGR Bingham Cup in Rome

Cork Hellhounds RFC, Cork’s LGBT-inclusive rugby team, made a historic debut at the IGR World Cup in Rome this month by winning the tournament’s Challenger Cup in a thrilling match against the Plymouth Dolphins. 

The Bingham Cup is a bi-annual competition hosted by International Gay Rugby, an organisation of gay and inclusive rugby clubs, of which the Cork Hellhounds have been members since 2021. This year was the first time the Hellhounds took part in the Bingham Cup, in which the Leeside team won each of their matches in Rome to earn the Challenger Cup last Sunday. 

The Cork Hellhounds were formed in 2020 as the city’s first LGBT-inclusive rugby club, and quickly ratified by Munster Rugby and the IRFU. The success of the Hellhounds has grown year on year since their foundation. Last year, they took part in the IGR Union Cup, the European championships of the organisation, where they reached the finals of their tier. They have also regularly worked with Munster Rugby to host the Cork Pride tag rugby tournament during the city’s Pride festivities, becoming a major sporting event for the festival. Their tag rugby offering also brings men and women into the Hellhound pack, taking part in the leagues organised by Cork Tag Rugby at Highfield RFC and Cork Constitution.

“We are thrilled to be able to bring home the Challenger Cup from Rome”, said Conor O’Brien, Captain of the Cork Hellhounds. “We played our hearts out on the pitch for each of our games, many of which were against other IGR teams we hadn’t faced before. The hard work and training of our players and coaches paid off, and we are so proud to have been able to represent Cork at the Bingham Cup for the first time. We were able to celebrate our win in style in Rome and we can’t wait to continue those celebrations and promote rugby among Cork’s LGBT community, especially with Cork Pride being around the corner.” 

Cork Hellhounds to Host Pride Tag Rugby Tournament At Musgrave Park

Cork Hellhounds RFC, with the support of Munster Rugby, will host their second annual Cork Pride Tag Rugby Tournament on Saturday, July 23rd from 12.30pm in Musgrave Park.

We are inviting individuals or groups to take part in a fun afternoon of tag rugby, where you will be put into teams to play non-contact rugby with members and friends of the Cork Hellhounds. 

Whether you are new to rugby or have played tag before, you are welcome to try tag rugby with the Hellhounds and friends from across the LGBT+ and Munster Rugby communities. Supporters are also very welcome to come along and get behind the event where refreshments will be provided on the
day. 

If you have never played tag rugby before and don’t know the rules, please note that tag rugby is non-contact and Munster Rugby Development staff will be available also to conduct a 30-minute ‘Intro to Rugby’ workshop on the day. 

Munster Rugby’s Rugby Participation and Operations Manager, Damon Urlich, said:

“We are delighted to support the Cork Hellhounds as they host their second annual Pride Tag Rugby Tournament. With both the Cork and Limerick Pride festivals taking place in the month of July, we are very happy to be able to help the Hellhounds with their own celebrations in the province. Community and inclusivity are at the heart of what we do in Munster so we are really looking forward to the 23rd of July in Musgrave Park which is sure to be a memorable day.”

Scott De Buitléir, Vice-President of Cork Hellhounds RFC, said:

“We are delighted to have this year’s Cork Pride Tag Rugby Tournament in Musgrave Park, and to be supported so proudly by Munster Rugby. It’s a great way for the local rugby community to have some fun playing tag as part of the Cork Pride festivities, but also to show that a warm welcome awaits LGBTQ+ people in Cork to get involved with the sport. Rugby is an inclusive sport at heart, and we’re proud to show that with our partners in Munster Rugby.”


How To Register

Register as an individual or a team by clicking here.

  • If you sign up as an individual, you will be assigned a team on the day.
  • If you are registering a team, please contact hello@corkhellhounds.ie after you receive your
  • Eventbrite ticket and confirm the number of players in your group.
  • Please present your Eventbrite ticket upon arrival to Musgrave Park.
  • Don’t forget to tag @Corkpride, @corkhellhounds and @munsterrugby when posting on social media.

CORK LGBT-INCLUSIVE RUGBY CLUB LAUNCHED

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. 

— ENDS — 

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.