Rugby in the pink

New Zealand, home of the manly and rugged All Blacks, will put on the world's first official gay rugby match on tomorrow

New Zealand, home of the manly and rugged All Blacks, will put on the world's first official gay rugby match on tomorrow. Wellington's Krazy Knights and the Auckland's Rainbow Heroes scrum down at Rugby League Park, Wellington.

Dean Knight, captain of the Krazy Knights, said the match represented a milestone in the development of gay sport. Knight said although Britain's Kings Cross Steelers were the first official gay rugby team, this was the first official match between two gay teams.

"This is a remarkable achievement since the idea of a gay rugby team was first floated earlier this year. There has been such a great, and positive, response - having two New Zealand teams competing against each other is more than we could have dreamed of," he said.

The match completes an inaugural season for both teams. The Krazy Knights played matches against four invitation and corporate teams, winning one match. The Rainbow Heroes lost both their matches against club teams.

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"It is simply amazing to see the gay rugby players who played while in the closet enjoying themselves playing in an open, gay environment together with first-time players who previously did not give rugby a go because of the homophobic attitudes which have been present in mainstream rugby," said Knight.

Wonder how the IRFU would handle that one ?