The Caledonian Thebans is the first gay and bisexual friendly rugby club for men in Scotland. The club came to life on the 18th May 2002 when Colm Cunningham, a gay man from Northern Ireland, put up a poster in the Laughing Duck, a now defunct Edinburgh gay bar. Since its beginnings the club has aimed to provide the means and facilities for gay and bi men, who are serious about playing rugby or learning the game, to do so in a safe and supportive environment. And in case people wonder, you don’t have to be gay or bi to join the Thebans. All we want is to get a group of people who are interested in playing rugby, no matter what their level of experience and in time create a winning team who have enjoyed their journey getting there.
Where did the name come from? Well, the club is called the Caledonian Thebans after the Theban Sacred Band, one of the most famous Greek Regiments in history. Made up of gay male couples, the Thebans pledged to lay down their lives for each other and their home city of Thebes, which they duly did at the battle of Chaeronea in 338 BC. You won’t be expected to lay down your life or even play competitively if you don’t want to, but do come along to a training session and try it out for yourself. We welcome all levels of ability and experience so don’t be put off by thinking you’re not fit enough or don’t have enough experience. Most of us weren’t that fit when we joined and a significant number have never played rugby before either.
Meet the team? Coming Soon :-)
