Inclusive Rugby tournament pushing barriers in Ottawa

On the fields in Ottawa's east end, a major rugby tournament is aiming for more than just tries; it is breaking down barriers and proving inclusivity should be a core tenant of sport. 

Drawing in more than 1,500 players and 83 clubs from 20 countries worldwide, the Bingham Cup is the bi-annual world championship of gay and inclusive Rugby.

"I think it’s great. It is great that women have been included in this tournament as well," Emily Letourneau, a scrum-half for the Ottawa Wolves said. 

Wolves utility-back Roberta Drummond knows the importance of inclusivity in sport; she captained the Carleton University women’s rugby team with Pride tape on her wrists, and openly bisexual. 

"It meant the world, it meant everything, honestly," Drummond said of her acceptance.  

"Players play the best when they’re their authentic true selves. Being able to be 100 per cent who you are on the field and feel supported and connected to your team makes you a much better rugby player," she added. 

But not everyone experienced such a welcoming environment. 

After two decades in high-level rugby, Brennan Bastyovanszky left the game, unable to handle the disconnect he felt with his teammates after he was outed as gay. 

"It was one of the hardest thing I ever had to was to walk away from it," he said. 

Luckily, Bastyovanszky found gay and inclusive rugby, and after playing in Sydney, Australia for a spell, he returned to British Columbia and revived the Vancouver Rogues; a long-defunct gay rugby team.

Now, it’s the top team in the country, and the first Canadian team to play in a Bingham semifinal. 

"By starting the Vancouver Rogues it gave me a place where I could feel safe and welcome, and playing with these guys here I’m really proud of them," Bastyovanszky said, a tear in eye. 

The Rogues success on the field, is only matched by their success off of it. The team has quickly recruited players, a whopping 53 new team members this year, including 25 who had never played the sport before. 

"Sports need to be inclusive, by bringing everybody in and making them feel welcome you draw numbers in," Bastyovanszky said. 

The tournament is also the backdrop for researchers, like Erik Denison, hoping to rid the sport of homophobia. 

"A lot of kids, particularly in Canada have been a target of homophic abuse, and sexist abuse in sport and that deters them from playing sport," Denison, a researcher at Monash University’s Behavioural Science Laboratory, said. 

According to Denison, more than half of gay children in sport are the target of homophobic abuse, particularly those who have come out. 

He says new research shows that abuse doesn’t just affect the people it’s targeted at; it can also predict potential negative behaviour in the future. 

"When boys use this homophobic and sexist banter they’re actually more likely to sexually assault a girl and engage in sexual harassment," Denison said.

Through the tournament and clubs around the world, Denison says he’s able to work Bastyovanszky to speak to other captains in rugby about the value of inclusivity.

"Change needs to start with the captains and the best players, if we don’t get them to change the behaviour of their peers and lead by example, we’re never going to change sport," Denison said. 

"The problem we’ve had is that guys are terrified to step up and tell other guys not to do things," he added.

Still, there’s hope through tournaments like the Bingham Cup, and continued advocacy, a more inclusive future in sport is on the horizon.

"Everybody should be able to play for who they are showcase their talent," Letourneau said.