Ottawa Wolves leading the way for 2SLGBTQ+ Rugby Clubs in Canada

June 27, 2023 (Ottawa, Ontario) – The Ottawa Wolves Rugby Football Club was founded in 2008 with the purpose of encouraging participation in rugby among those who have traditionally been under-represented in the sport. Most of its players are part of the 2SLGBTQ+ community, but the club is diverse in its make-up, and inclusive of everyone who wants to play.

In 2009, the club fielded a men’s side in the second division of the Eastern Ontario Rugby Union for the first time. That same year the Wolves also became a member of International Gay Rugby (IGR), an organization designed to eliminate discrimination of sexual orientations or identification in the sport by providing members of the 2SLGBTQ+ community a chance to play rugby in an inclusive atmosphere.

The Wolves expanded in 2013 with the introduction of a women’s side. Out of the five IGR clubs in Canada, the Wolves are the only one to have an established women’s side. They were the first IGR club in the world to have a female president. 

“The mission of our club started as and still is to promote and encourage participation in rugby among the people that traditionally have been marginalized in the game,” said Emilie Létourneau, President of the Ottawa Wolves. “We are about bringing people into our club and the sport that either have never played rugby or never felt comfortable playing a team sport. We want to welcome them into the rugby community. Most of the team is composed of queer members, but we accept everyone. We are very diverse and inclusive.”

In 2022, the Wolves, after extensive bidding process, hosted one of the world’s biggest amateur rugby tournaments, the Bingham Cup, in the nation’s capital from August 13 to 21. The tournament, also known as the Mark Kendall Bingham Memorial Tournament, is the biennial world championships of gay and inclusive rugby. The tournament welcomed more than 83 clubs, 148 teams from 20 different countries around the world. Four other 2SLGBTQ+ teams from Canada, the Vancouver Rogues, Toronto Muddy York, Rainbow Griffins and Montreal Armada, also participated. The women’s competition featured four teams, with the Wolves capturing the inaugural Amanda Cup.

“After we hosted the Bingham Cup last year and the team that competed in the women’s bracket won the Amanda Cup, we have seen record numbers this year, with over 60 players registered with our club. We are very excited as the Bingham Cup was probably a great introduction to our club and the sport for many people.”

Létourneau continued: “Part of hosting the Bingham Cup was about showing it is possible to host a tournament that big and it be successful. Since then, we have run into people at restaurants or other events who say they saw our games during the Bingham Cup. It showed we have community in Canada that supports rugby and the values inclusivity. Canada is ready for more rugby and Canada is ready for more rugby that is inclusive.”

The process of recruiting new players is something all rugby clubs in Canada are familiar with, including the Wolves. However, the recruitment process taken by the 2SLGBTQ+ club in Ottawa might be unique to others.

“Our focus is not to necessarily recruit experienced players, university players or people who already know the game of rugby. We want to open the doors to an even bigger pool of people. So many people don’t even know what rugby is when they join the Wolves. But that is okay, as we will always teach them. They just need to show up and we can show them how great our sport is.”

“We participate in a lot of community events, many connected to Pride celebrations. We try to participate or volunteer at as many of these events as we can. For example, for the Ottawa Pride Run, we get a team of players to run in our jerseys and full rugby kit to show the community that we are here t support them. Often people are very curious and will just come up to us and start asking questions. They see just how much fun we are having, how we interact. It looks like one big family. It’s about openness and inclusiveness. We want to get everyone involved at whatever level they are comfortable with, whether that is playing in a game or just coming to practice to toss the ball and run around.”

The Wolves have been in existence for almost 15 years, and the club and its members continue to see the positive impact they have on their players, members of the 2SLGBTQ+ community, and sport in general.

“The existence of our club has opened the door to say that it’s possible to play a sport and be part of something that you might not have known existed before. Our club aims to impact how society is evolving and helping everyone be recognized for who they are.”