Gentle reader, let it never be said that we here at Nightspots don't give our all for you.
When I first heard about a gay-friendly rugby team forming this past winter, I admit my first thought was 'They'll get their asses kicked, but the uniforms will be fabulous.' My second thought was that the team would never get to the point of even playing a game.
God love 'em, the Chicago Dragons, Chicago's gay-friendly rugby team, just completed their first season of play (and yes, the uniforms are fabulous).
I attended an organizational meeting and a team practice a few weeks ago to take some pictures and to get a feel for the team for this article. The practice was interesting. The guys were reasonably serious about playing, showing a fair bit of hustle and throwing themselves into the scrimmage with a measure of abandon, but honestly, I didn't get it.
It became apparent the only chance for me to get into these guys' heads was to get into their rugby boots. I returned, without the camera, shedding 20 years of studied inactivity, and joined them on the field. I did calisthenics. I stretched. I ran laps. I hit the tackling dummies—hard. I threw everything my slightly tubby, horribly out of shape, body had into the 'Sevens' scrimmage. I sweated. I wheezed.
I am home now, ice pack on my knee. Banged up. Scraped up. Sore. And feeling more alive than I have in 20 years. I totally get it. My sole regret is, that due to deadline, I'm writing this instead of raising a post-practice mug at Big Chick's.
Thanks guys. I'll see you again next Thursday, check for the summer in hand. Go Dragons!
The Chicago Dragons practice every Thursday from 7-9 pm at Lerner Park, 7000 N. Sacramento. You can get more information on the Dragons by visiting their website at www.chicagodragons.org, or by calling the Club Hotline at (773) 347-1240.