Meet the Azlans, Northern Ireland's only predomantly gay gby team |

Contents:

• GAY PRO GBY PLAYER NICK MCCARTHY OUT IRELAND TO WISPREAD ACCEPTANCE
• MEET THE AZLANS, NORTHERN IRELAND'S ONLY PREDOMANTLY GAY GBY TEAM
• GAY GBY TEAM 'UNACCEPTABLE'
• NORTHERN IRELAND FALLY GETS AN LGBT-INCLIVE RUGBY TEAM"IT'S GREAT N BE YOURSELF ONT OF EVERYONE AND BE FORTABLE." {FONT:NORMAL 800 1.2REM/1.2 "D BOLD",SANS-SERIF;TEXT-TRANSFORM:NORMAL;LOR:HER;DISPLAY:LE-BLOCK;PADDG-BOTTOM:6PX;POSN:RELATIVE;TEXT-TRANSFORM:UPPERSE;}{BACKGROUND:#89308A;BOTTOM:0;NTENT:'';DISPLAY:BLOCK;HEIGHT:2PX;LEFT:0;POSN:ABSOLUTE;RIGHT:0;-WEBK-TRANSN:ALL 0.2S EASE;TRANSN:ALL 0.2S EASE;WIDTH:100%;}{LEFT:51%;RIGHT:51%;WIDTH:0;}{FONT:NORMAL 800 1.2REM/1.2 "D BOLD",SANS-SERIF;TEXT-TRANSFORM:NORMAL;LOR:HER;DISPLAY:LE-BLOCK;PADDG-BOTTOM:6PX;POSN:RELATIVE;TEXT-TRANSFORM:UPPERSE;}{BACKGROUND:#89308A;BOTTOM:0;NTENT:'';DISPLAY:BLOCK;HEIGHT:2PX;LEFT:0;POSN:ABSOLUTE;RIGHT:0;-WEBK-TRANSN:ALL 0.2S EASE;TRANSN:ALL 0.2S EASE;WIDTH:100%;}{LEFT:51%;RIGHT:51%;WIDTH:0;}LIFEBY CODY GOHLAPRIL 27, 2016/1:42 PMBY CODY GOHLAPRIL 27, 2016 / 1:42 PM{"@NTEXT":","@TYPE":"NEWSARTICLE","HEADLE":"NORTHERN IRELAND FALLY GETS AN LGBT-INCLIVE RUGBY TEAM","DATEPUBLISHED":"2016-04-27T17:42:41.000+0000","DATEMODIFIED":"2016-04-27T17:42:41.000+0000","IMAGE":{"@NTEXT":","@TYPE":"IMAGEOBJECT","WIDTH":1920,"HEIGHT":1080},"URL":","THOR":{"@TYPE":"ORGANIZATN","NAME":"LOGO TV"},"MAENTYOFPAGE":{"@TYPE":"WEBPAGE","@ID":"},"PUBLISHER":{"@TYPE":"ORGANIZATN","@ID":","NAME":"LOGO TV","URL":","LOGO":{"@TYPE":"IMAGEOBJECT"}},"CREATOR":"CODY GOHL","ARTICLESECTN":"LIFE"}{BOX-SIZG:BORR-BOX;PADDG:24PX 0;} A{LOR:#354A4E;-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;} A:HOVER, A:FOC{-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:NONE;TEXT-RATN:NONE;} B, STRONG{FONT-WEIGHT:700;}IN HOP OF MAKG GBY A MORE CLIVE SPORT, A GROUP OF IRISH ATHLET HAVE GOTTEN TOGETHER TO FORM NORTHERN IRELAND'S ONLY PREDOMANTLY GAY GBY {BOX-SIZG:BORR-BOX;PADDG:24PX 0;} A{LOR:#354A4E;-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;} A:HOVER, A:FOC{-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:NONE;TEXT-RATN:NONE;} B, STRONG{FONT-WEIGHT:700;}IN THE SPIR OF TE CLIVY, THE BELFAST-BASED AZLANS GBY CLUB IS OPEN TO ALL: YOUNG AND OLD, GAY AND STRAIGHT, TOTAL BEGNERS AND TRAED EXPERTS {BOX-SIZG:BORR-BOX;PADDG:24PX 0;} A{LOR:#354A4E;-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;} A:HOVER, A:FOC{-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:NONE;TEXT-RATN:NONE;} B, STRONG{FONT-WEIGHT:700;}KEV BARTLETT, THE MAN BEHD THE TEAM, EXPLAED TO THE BELFAST TELEGRAPH THAT "THE AZLANS WELG EVERYONE AND MAKG EVERYONE FEEL WELE."{BOX-SIZG:BORR-BOX;PADDG:24PX 0;} A{LOR:#354A4E;-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;} A:HOVER, A:FOC{-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:NONE;TEXT-RATN:NONE;} B, STRONG{FONT-WEIGHT:700;}BARTLETT WAS A MEMBER OF NORTHERN IRELAND'S FIRST GAY-IENDLY GBY TEAM, THE ULSTER TANS, BEFORE S DISBANDMENT, AND SAYS HE CID TO FOUND THE AZLANS AS A SPACE THAT WOULD PTURE THE TANS' OPEN {BOX-SIZG:BORR-BOX;PADDG:24PX 0;} A{LOR:#354A4E;-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;} A:HOVER, A:FOC{-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:NONE;TEXT-RATN:NONE;} B, STRONG{FONT-WEIGHT:700;}"IT ME ABOUT BEE A LOT OF PEOPLE WERE SAYG TO ME THAT THEY WOULD LIKE TO PLAY GBY BUT THEY DIDN'T KNOW WHERE TO GO," HE {BOX-SIZG:BORR-BOX;PADDG:24PX 0;} A{LOR:#354A4E;-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;} A:HOVER, A:FOC{-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:NONE;TEXT-RATN:NONE;} B, STRONG{FONT-WEIGHT:700;}"WE ARE THERE FOR PEOPLE WHO MAYBE HAVE NEVER PLAYED GBY BEFORE, FOR WHATEVER REASON, OR MAYBE THEY WOULD LIKE TO GET BACK TO THE SPORT. YOU N E ALONG AND LEARN AND TRA. EVERYONE IS ACCEPTED— DON'T MATTER WHO THEY ARE."{BOX-SIZG:BORR-BOX;PADDG:24PX 0;} A{LOR:#354A4E;-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;} A:HOVER, A:FOC{-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:NONE;TEXT-RATN:NONE;} B, STRONG{FONT-WEIGHT:700;}BARTLETT'S TEAMMATE STEPHEN AIKEN, WHO HAS BEEN VOLVED WH THE TEAM SCE S CEPTN, FDS THAT THE AZLANS CLUB OFFERS A SAFE SPACE FOR HIM TO BE EXACTLY WHO HE {BOX-SIZG:BORR-BOX;PADDG:24PX 0;} A{LOR:#354A4E;-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;} A:HOVER, A:FOC{-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:NONE;TEXT-RATN:NONE;} B, STRONG{FONT-WEIGHT:700;}"WHEN WE ARE OUT ON THE PCH, YOU REALIZE HOW WELL EVERYONE GETS ON—WHAT HAPPENS ON THE PCH DON'T AFFECT WHAT HAPPENS WHEN YOU E OFF . IT'S GREAT BEE YOU DON'T HAVE TO PUT ON A ONT, YOU N BE YOURSELF ONT OF EVERYONE AND BE FORTABLE."{BOX-SIZG:BORR-BOX;PADDG:24PX 0;} A{LOR:#354A4E;-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;} A:HOVER, A:FOC{-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:NONE;TEXT-RATN:NONE;} B, STRONG{FONT-WEIGHT:700;}TO FD OUT MORE ABOUT THE TEAM, CHECK OUT THEIR FACEBOOK PAGE!{BOX-SIZG:BORR-BOX;CLEAR:BOTH;}{BOX-SIZG:BORR-BOX;MARG:0 TO;WIDTH:90%;M-WIDTH:288PX;MAX-WIDTH:1440PX;M-HEIGHT:194PX;}LATT NEWS

GAY PRO GBY PLAYER NICK MCCARTHY OUT IRELAND TO WISPREAD ACCEPTANCE

Cork Hellhounds RFC is ratified by Munster Rugby, and is also a member of Internatnal Gay Rugby.

MEET THE AZLANS, NORTHERN IRELAND'S ONLY PREDOMANTLY GAY GBY TEAM

Cork Hellhounds RFC c/o Gay Project, South Parish Communy CentreSawl StreetCork T12 CX32Ireland.

Nick McCarthy, a profsnal gby player for Lester Ireland, has e out publicly as gay.

When he talked wh a uple of ach last year, the support they showed him opened his ey to the te state of wispread acceptance of gay athlet sports. © 2020 GCN (Gay Communy News). Howard Webster reports on Ireland's first gay gby team, their acceptance by the IRFU and their September 11th heroEmerald Warrrs RFC, based Dubl, are Ireland's first and only all-gay gby team.

GAY GBY TEAM 'UNACCEPTABLE'

"Karl Richardson, spokman for the IRFU, says: "A lot of people outsi of the gby world thought that gay men wouldn’t have been weled by gby.

There’s nothg to stop a gay player, if he has the drive and the mment, om reachg reprentative level. Dubl’s gay scene isn’t a muny that most Irish gby clubs tomatilly thk about for recment driv.

"Posters went up gay clubs and bars around Dubl, vg revellers to "Get your k on" and to "Come out and play gby". "The Warrrs need sponsorship, too, and support om a sceptil gay muny. That’s not a gay thg.

NORTHERN IRELAND FALLY GETS AN LGBT-INCLIVE RUGBY TEAM"IT'S GREAT N BE YOURSELF ONT OF EVERYONE AND BE FORTABLE." {FONT:NORMAL 800 1.2REM/1.2 "D BOLD",SANS-SERIF;TEXT-TRANSFORM:NORMAL;LOR:HER;DISPLAY:LE-BLOCK;PADDG-BOTTOM:6PX;POSN:RELATIVE;TEXT-TRANSFORM:UPPERSE;}{BACKGROUND:#89308A;BOTTOM:0;NTENT:'';DISPLAY:BLOCK;HEIGHT:2PX;LEFT:0;POSN:ABSOLUTE;RIGHT:0;-WEBK-TRANSN:ALL 0.2S EASE;TRANSN:ALL 0.2S EASE;WIDTH:100%;}{LEFT:51%;RIGHT:51%;WIDTH:0;}{FONT:NORMAL 800 1.2REM/1.2 "D BOLD",SANS-SERIF;TEXT-TRANSFORM:NORMAL;LOR:HER;DISPLAY:LE-BLOCK;PADDG-BOTTOM:6PX;POSN:RELATIVE;TEXT-TRANSFORM:UPPERSE;}{BACKGROUND:#89308A;BOTTOM:0;NTENT:'';DISPLAY:BLOCK;HEIGHT:2PX;LEFT:0;POSN:ABSOLUTE;RIGHT:0;-WEBK-TRANSN:ALL 0.2S EASE;TRANSN:ALL 0.2S EASE;WIDTH:100%;}{LEFT:51%;RIGHT:51%;WIDTH:0;}LIFEBY CODY GOHLAPRIL 27, 2016/1:42 PMBY CODY GOHLAPRIL 27, 2016 / 1:42 PM{"@NTEXT":","@TYPE":"NEWSARTICLE","HEADLE":"NORTHERN IRELAND FALLY GETS AN LGBT-INCLIVE RUGBY TEAM","DATEPUBLISHED":"2016-04-27T17:42:41.000+0000","DATEMODIFIED":"2016-04-27T17:42:41.000+0000","IMAGE":{"@NTEXT":","@TYPE":"IMAGEOBJECT","WIDTH":1920,"HEIGHT":1080},"URL":","THOR":{"@TYPE":"ORGANIZATN","NAME":"LOGO TV"},"MAENTYOFPAGE":{"@TYPE":"WEBPAGE","@ID":"},"PUBLISHER":{"@TYPE":"ORGANIZATN","@ID":","NAME":"LOGO TV","URL":","LOGO":{"@TYPE":"IMAGEOBJECT"}},"CREATOR":"CODY GOHL","ARTICLESECTN":"LIFE"}{BOX-SIZG:BORR-BOX;PADDG:24PX 0;} A{LOR:#354A4E;-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;} A:HOVER, A:FOC{-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:NONE;TEXT-RATN:NONE;} B, STRONG{FONT-WEIGHT:700;}IN HOP OF MAKG GBY A MORE CLIVE SPORT, A GROUP OF IRISH ATHLET HAVE GOTTEN TOGETHER TO FORM NORTHERN IRELAND'S ONLY PREDOMANTLY GAY GBY {BOX-SIZG:BORR-BOX;PADDG:24PX 0;} A{LOR:#354A4E;-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;} A:HOVER, A:FOC{-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:NONE;TEXT-RATN:NONE;} B, STRONG{FONT-WEIGHT:700;}IN THE SPIR OF TE CLIVY, THE BELFAST-BASED AZLANS GBY CLUB IS OPEN TO ALL: YOUNG AND OLD, GAY AND STRAIGHT, TOTAL BEGNERS AND TRAED EXPERTS {BOX-SIZG:BORR-BOX;PADDG:24PX 0;} A{LOR:#354A4E;-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;} A:HOVER, A:FOC{-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:NONE;TEXT-RATN:NONE;} B, STRONG{FONT-WEIGHT:700;}KEV BARTLETT, THE MAN BEHD THE TEAM, EXPLAED TO THE BELFAST TELEGRAPH THAT "THE AZLANS WELG EVERYONE AND MAKG EVERYONE FEEL WELE."{BOX-SIZG:BORR-BOX;PADDG:24PX 0;} A{LOR:#354A4E;-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;} A:HOVER, A:FOC{-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:NONE;TEXT-RATN:NONE;} B, STRONG{FONT-WEIGHT:700;}BARTLETT WAS A MEMBER OF NORTHERN IRELAND'S FIRST GAY-IENDLY GBY TEAM, THE ULSTER TANS, BEFORE S DISBANDMENT, AND SAYS HE CID TO FOUND THE AZLANS AS A SPACE THAT WOULD PTURE THE TANS' OPEN {BOX-SIZG:BORR-BOX;PADDG:24PX 0;} A{LOR:#354A4E;-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;} A:HOVER, A:FOC{-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:NONE;TEXT-RATN:NONE;} B, STRONG{FONT-WEIGHT:700;}"IT ME ABOUT BEE A LOT OF PEOPLE WERE SAYG TO ME THAT THEY WOULD LIKE TO PLAY GBY BUT THEY DIDN'T KNOW WHERE TO GO," HE {BOX-SIZG:BORR-BOX;PADDG:24PX 0;} A{LOR:#354A4E;-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;} A:HOVER, A:FOC{-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:NONE;TEXT-RATN:NONE;} B, STRONG{FONT-WEIGHT:700;}"WE ARE THERE FOR PEOPLE WHO MAYBE HAVE NEVER PLAYED GBY BEFORE, FOR WHATEVER REASON, OR MAYBE THEY WOULD LIKE TO GET BACK TO THE SPORT. YOU N E ALONG AND LEARN AND TRA. EVERYONE IS ACCEPTED— DON'T MATTER WHO THEY ARE."{BOX-SIZG:BORR-BOX;PADDG:24PX 0;} A{LOR:#354A4E;-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;} A:HOVER, A:FOC{-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:NONE;TEXT-RATN:NONE;} B, STRONG{FONT-WEIGHT:700;}BARTLETT'S TEAMMATE STEPHEN AIKEN, WHO HAS BEEN VOLVED WH THE TEAM SCE S CEPTN, FDS THAT THE AZLANS CLUB OFFERS A SAFE SPACE FOR HIM TO BE EXACTLY WHO HE {BOX-SIZG:BORR-BOX;PADDG:24PX 0;} A{LOR:#354A4E;-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;} A:HOVER, A:FOC{-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:NONE;TEXT-RATN:NONE;} B, STRONG{FONT-WEIGHT:700;}"WHEN WE ARE OUT ON THE PCH, YOU REALIZE HOW WELL EVERYONE GETS ON—WHAT HAPPENS ON THE PCH DON'T AFFECT WHAT HAPPENS WHEN YOU E OFF . IT'S GREAT BEE YOU DON'T HAVE TO PUT ON A ONT, YOU N BE YOURSELF ONT OF EVERYONE AND BE FORTABLE."{BOX-SIZG:BORR-BOX;PADDG:24PX 0;} A{LOR:#354A4E;-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;} A:HOVER, A:FOC{-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:NONE;TEXT-RATN:NONE;} B, STRONG{FONT-WEIGHT:700;}TO FD OUT MORE ABOUT THE TEAM, CHECK OUT THEIR FACEBOOK PAGE!{BOX-SIZG:BORR-BOX;CLEAR:BOTH;}{BOX-SIZG:BORR-BOX;MARG:0 TO;WIDTH:90%;M-WIDTH:288PX;MAX-WIDTH:1440PX;M-HEIGHT:194PX;}LATT NEWS

"Gay gby teams are beg formed all over the world, and are fdg and trag players who wouldn’t prevly have dreamed of playg the sport.

One of the "hero" aboard Uned Airl flight 93, which crashed a Pennsylvania field on September 11, 2001, was a 110kg, 195cm gby player, a member of San Francis Fog RFC, a team set up to enurage gay men to play the sport.

He has given his name to an ternatnal gay gby tournament, the Bgham Cup. "When I lived the US I joed a gay ski and snowboard club. " Nick Costello believ many young gay men bee isolated when they realise they are different at school and as a rult are drawn to solary sports, such as swimmg and wrtlg.