Ironsides Press Kit 2013v3

BOSTON
IRONSIDES
RFC
Boston Ironsides Rugby Football Club
Press
Kit
2013
Press
Kit
2013
Boston Ironsides Rugby Football Club
The Story Thus Far
At the height of American patriotism following the attacks on 9/11, members of New York’s
Gotham Knights arrived in Boston to begin laying the initial groundwork and recruiting players
for a Boston-based gay-friendly rugby club. On July 28, 2002 the Boston Ironsides RFC
(Rugby Football Club) was formed. The Ironsides grew rapidly and become competitive in
their division. This momentum culminated in May of 2006, when the Ironsides won the
inaugural Bingham Bowl at the Mark Kendall Bingham Memorial Championship.
BOSTON
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Following a period of inactivity after this achievement, the team began a renewed recruitment
effort in early 2010 with the help of John Scaife, a former rugger from the UK now resident
in Boston. A dynamic coaching dtaff and the dedication of key team leaders have revitalized
the Ironsides with an energy that can be seen on the pitch. In June 2012 the Ironsides shut
out opponents on the first day of competition at the VI Bingham Cup in Manchester, United
Kingdom and quickly became known as a force to be reckoned with in amateur rugby union.
The team currently boasts an active roster of nearly sixty players, and has begun planning for
the next Bingham Cup, to be held in the summer of 2014 in Sydney, Australia.
Our Place In the World of Rugby
The Boston Ironsides is affiliated with the International Rugby Board (IRB), based in Dublin,
Ireland. We are sanctioned by USA Rugby, the governing body for the sport of rugby in the
United States. Our Geographical Union is NERFU, the New England Rugby Football Union.
The Ironsides is also New England’s only member of The International Gay Rugby Association
and Board, or IGRAB, headquartered in London, England. IGRAB is an organization that
promotes rugby as an inclusive, non-­‐discriminatory sport which everyone can play, regardless
of sexual orientation, gender, race, religion, nationality, ethnic origin, political beliefs, athletic
ability, age, physical challenge, mental challenge, or health status. IGRAB organizes the
biennial Mark Kendall Bingham Memorial Tournament, ppularly known as the Bingham Cup,
the Rugby World Cup for gay and gay-friendly teams.
The Bingham Cup is named for Mark Bingham, an openly gay rugger and one of the heroes
who gave their lives to thwart the terrorist hijackers of United Flight 93 on September 11, 2001.
Bingham defied all media stereotypes. When his team, the San Francisco Fog, became the
first gay rugby team to be accepted into a USA Rugby affiliated geographic union he explained
his vision: “We have the chance to be role models for other gay folks who wanted to play
sports, but never felt good enough or strong enough. More importantly, we have the chance
to show the other teams in the league that we are as good as they are. Good rugby players.
Good partiers. Good sports. Good men.” His dream to bring the sport to everyone has made
the United States a driving force in gay and inclusive rugby; about half of all IGRAB teams
worldwide are American. In fact, the exponential rise of IGRAB in the United States has made
rugby the nation’s fastest-growing sport in recent years.
As one of the original members of IGRAB the Ironsides are proud to be a part of this legacy.
Boston Ironsides RFC
Boston, Massachusetts
bostonironsides.org
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Press Kit 2013
“The one thing about rugby is
that it doesn’t discriminate;
once you kit up, you put on
the boots, it’s game time.”
—Wiremu Kiwi’au Diaz
The Team
Diverse and Committed
The men of the Boston Ironsides come from diverse backgrounds. Gay, straight, lifelong
athletes, newcomers to the sport; accountants, engineers, bartenders, designers, educators,
students, physicians and more. Many are native New Englanders, while some come from
different parts of the country, and still others hail from all over the world—Canada, Europe,
South America, Australia. We celebrate these differences because they make us strong, and
each new member adds to that strength.
Coaching Staff:
Boston Ironsides
Ed Kalas
Matt Kier
Josh Young
Coach
Captain
Forwards Captain
The Executive Board
Managing the Team
@bostonironsides
Bostonironsides
bostonironsides.org
The Boston Ironsides RFC is, above all else, a team devoted to the sport of rugby, but not
everything the club needs can be accomplished during practices and games. The Executive
Board is comprised of annually elected members who ensure that our team runs smoothly both
on and off the pitch. Scheduling, social planning, finances, equipment, and recruiting are just
part of the board’s responsibilities. The Ironsides is a 501(c)(3) non-­‐profit incorporated in the
Commonwealth of Massachusetts.
The 2013–2014 Ironsides Executive Board:
Rob Monticchio
Marc Gemma
Kurt Eddy
Tom Iaccobucci
President
Vice President
Marketing & Sponsorship
Vice President
Rugby Operations
Vice President
Finance
Alejandro Cajigal
Abi Clay
Wiremu Kiwi’au Diaz
Vice President
Social & Philanthropy
Secretary
Parliamentarian
Press Contact/Sponsorship Information
Marc Gemma
401 743 7020
[email protected]
Boston Ironsides RFC
Boston, Massachusetts
bostonironsides.org
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Press Kit 2013
In the Community
Proud to Serve
The Boston Ironsides are not only a force on the playing field, but in the community as well.
The team participates in public outreach programs as well as local and regional charities. The
Ironsides are always searching for new ways to get involved and enrich the community.
In 2013 the Ironsides were invited by the Gay Lesbian Straight Education Network, or GLSEN,
to participate in their annual conference at The Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT).
GLSEN is an organization that strives to assure that every member of a school community
is valued and respected regardless of sexual orientation or gender identity/expression. The
Ironsides were proud to be involved in various activates including a group discussion that
covered topics such as how rugby has broken the stereotypes of sexuality, and how straight
players deal with the stigma of playing for a gay-oriented team and how to combat potential
false negative impressions.
Pride
The Ironsides participate annually in the Boston and Rhode Island Pride parades. The only
IGRAB-affiliated rugby team in the six New England states, the team is a perennial attraction
and well-known in the Providence metropolitan area, home to many of our members.
The Boston Ironsides RFC is a member of PrideSports Boston, an association of gay and lesbian
teams in the Boston area that aims to promote athletics for traditionally under-­represented
men and women. At the 2013 PrideSports Boston Awards gala Ironsides player Michael Kloc
received the Inspiring Athlete Award.
In The Press:
Mud, Sweat, and Cheers for Rugby
Boot Camp Strengthens Gay Friendly Club (abridged)
September 3, 2006
WILL KILBURN
By most people’s standards, the weather last Saturday at Moakley Field in South Boston was
just about perfect: bright sun, hardly a cloud, and a cool breeze blowing in from Dorchester
Bay. Still, some members of the Ironsides Rugby Football Club, who often play in rain, sleet,
and snow, were half wishing that the conditions for their season opening «boot camp” were a
bit rougher.
“We love it,” confirmed club president Marshall Mills. «It›s just an excuse for grown men to
play in the mud.”
Boston Ironsides RFC
Boston, Massachusetts
bostonironsides.org
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Press Kit 2013
Tackling the Issues
Stereotypes are straw men. Today’s rugby players lead a charge
toward a truly inclusive sport. (abridged)
September 2012
JAY ATKINSON
Practicing over at Moakley Park in Southie, Boston Ironsides looks like any other rugby club:
black guys, white guys; tall and lanky; short and powerful; some quick, shifty types; a few
obvious weightlifters; a contingent of lumpy, bearded men.
Growing up in Alice, Texas, [Ironsides member] Izzy Berdan was goalie on his high-school
soccer team but felt pigeonholed as “the big gay kid.” Now 6' 3" and 303 pounds, Berdan
has found a home in the Ironsides scrum, and in the rugby world at large.
In a game, “you’re committed to throwing your body around, so when you’re looking at the
other team, you put yourself on the same plane,” says Berdan, creative director for the Aquitaine restaurant group. “I don’t think people start to judge other people until they lose respect
for them. When I look at a bunch of ruggers, I know we’ve all gone through the same things. I
have respect for everyone on that field.”
The club has performed community service by having gay and straight members visit schools
to talk about gay athletes and bullying.
Rugby is quickly becoming “part of the public conversation,” agrees Bill Good, 63, president
of the Massachusetts Youth Rugby Organization. ...The service piece is part of the culture of
the game.”
Rugby is “the most democratic game in the world,” says Good. “It doesn’t matter what you do
‘outside.’ When you step on the field, everyone’s equal. And the guys who play at the highest
level have respect for those at the lower levels. ”
They do, however, take pride in their results. Last June, the Ironsides went 4-2 playing in the
biannual Mark Kendall Bingham Memorial Tournament in Manchester, England. Named for
a gay rugby player who helped overpower the terrorists on United Flight 93 on 9/11, the
tournament featured 38 international gay-inclusive teams, including clubs from rugby powerhouses Australia, Ireland and England.
Jay Atkinson is the author of seven books, including Memoirs of a Rugby-Playing Man,
which was published in April. He teaches writing at Boston University.
Ironsides Rock at Bingham
Boston brings aggression and focus to Manchester
The Boston Ironsides made a strong showing at the 2012 Bingham Cup. Held in Manchester,
UK, this years tournament, the gay and inclusive equivalent of the Rugby World Cup, was the
largest ever, with 38 teams from 15 nations.
Boston Ironsides RFC
Boston, Massachusetts
bostonironsides.org
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Sponsorship
Put Your Colors on Our Colors
Boston Ironsides RFC is a 501(c)(3) non-­‐profit organization in good standing, but sponsorship
is critical to the team’s growth. The team seeks funding through mutually beneficial strategic
partnerships to bring the sport of rugby to all who wish to play regardless of their individual
financial situation. Corporate sponsorship is crucial to this mission.
Where does the money go?
It takes a significant amount of capital to operate a rugby team—far more than can be raised
by member dues and fundraising alone. Club costs include team uniforms, storage, practice
and game-­‐day field rentals, lighting, equipment, and team travel costs, just to name a few.
What do you get out of it?
Your company will enjoy exposure and advertising across the United States and at major
sporting events around the world. The Ironsides play in-conference matches throughout New
England and travel annually to New York and Philadelphia. Each season also sees tournament
travel to locations in the Midwest and Southern US, Canada, Europe, and in 2014, Sydney
Australia. Sponsorship shows your customers that you care about the community and are an
important player in strengthening amateur sport during very challenging times.
We have developed a series of sponsorship tiers, and can also work with you to customize a
sponsorship package that’s the right fit for your company.
Current Sponsors
The Alley Bar
The Alley has welcomed the Ironsides into their establishment as the home of many of our
post-match banquets and socials.
www.thealleybar.com
Fritz
Fritz, “Boston’s Gay Sports Bar”, plays every Red Sox and Patriots game on their six plasma
screens, so you always have a front row seat. On the weekends, Fritz serves one of the most
popular brunches in the area.
www.fritzboston.com
The Stable
Boston Ironsides RFC
Boston, Massachusetts
bostonironsides.org
The Stable is the Ironsides’ home bar in Providence, featuring premier cocktails, friendly bartenders, billiards, and the occasional independent live music show. The Stable combines the
feeling of a neighborhood pub with a cosmopolitan city nightspot.
www.facebook.com/TheStableProvidence
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Boston Ironsides RFC 2013 Press Kit
©2013 Boston Ironsides RFC. All rights reserved.
All other trademarks are the property of their respective owners.
www.bostonironsides.org