Welcome to the sixth edition of El Paso Rugby’s Monthly Newsletter!
Where we keep you updated on all things El Paso Rugby. We’re excited to have you along for the journey! Check out what we got up to in June.
Pride in El Paso
June is Pride month and you bet there were some proud Jackalopes all over El Paso this month!
El Paso Rugby marched in the Pride Parade downtown, sporting our Contigo tank tops from Proper Print Shop and demonstrating lineouts for the cheering crowd. Our personal favorite was the Desi disco-ball lineout which included a full 360 mid-air. It was amazing to see the city awash in rainbows and heart-warming to meet the LGBTQ+ supporters of all ages.
Sales from those custom tank tops also allowed us to make a $113 donation to the Borderland Rainbow Center which provides critical resources for the LGBTQ+ community in the El Paso area. But the Pride didn’t stop there!
El Paso Rugby also joined the throngs of fans at the El Paso Chihuahuas, the Triple-A league, baseball game for Pride Night. We had some new recruits with us (and Hannah’s Dad – Hi!) and it was fun getting to know each of them better. Somewhere between the chitchat and finishing our hot dogs, the game ended and we found ourselves emptying out the stadium. It was a great ending to Pride but certainly just the start of El Paso Rugby’s involvement in and support of the gay community here in El Paso. (Group photo by Dovrazzi.)
Celtic 7s Tournament
Earlier in the month, the Jackalopes traveled to the majestic Albuquerque International Balloon Fiesta in ABQ to participate in the Celtic 7s Tournament hosted by the Brujos. Our fluffle of ruggers banded together to put on quite the showing in the first 7s tournament for El Paso Rugby. Our women’s side entered a team in the tournament, while our men jumped in with different teams from the Southwest Union.
With the sound of bagpipes floating across the pitch, the Jackalopes pulled out a win against Phoenix but fell to one of the Atomic Sisters’ teams. No need to dismay though, as our paws secured a decided victory in the boat race at the social hosted at Salt Yard West. All that bar practice is really paying off.
Congratulations to Desi, Peggy, and Emma who were selected as players of the match by the other teams – a high honor showing that they were top contributors and leaders on the pitch.
And after a long day in the sun, Goblin finally achieved her perfectly even suntan. Because, as you know, the sun is very hard to come by around here and she absolutely needed to soak it up at every possible moment during this one sunny day at the tournament.
Youth Rugby at Fort Bliss 2.0
The kids at Fort Bliss enjoyed their first taste of rugby back in April and El Paso Rugby was invited to return in June to host more clinics. This time Bliss and Milam school-age groups were training to face off against each other on the final clinic day. After a few practices these young Jackalopes-in-training were ready to take to the pitch and try out their new skills.
Milam had some stolen balls leading to exciting tries, while Bliss impressed us with smart passes and working together to move the ball. We appreciated getting to share rugby with each of the kids and to continue growing rugby in El Paso.
Consent is Sexy (and Mandatory)
El Paso Rugby is proud to be a safe space for all members of the community to enjoy sport and comradery. This is rooted in a respect for one another and a responsibility to help each other grow and learn. We want to improve as people together, not just as athletes.
One of the ways we’re working on this is by completing group trainings to establish a shared understanding of critical issues like sexual assault, consent, and coercion. Trainings like this help open the dialogue on difficult topics and let the group establish standards that we will then all be accountable for upholding.
To start us off, our Ombudsperson, Natalie Martell, organized a sexual assault prevention training with Center Against Sexual and Family Violence. The group attending learned about and discussed sexual assault myths, rape culture, domestic violence, and enthusiastic consent. We will be expanding the training to reach more members, potentially hosting a consent workshop, and tackling diversity and inclusion training next. We recommend reaching out to Pablo from CASFV if you'd like to have your group trained - see info below.
Look Ahead: Member Access Only
The Look Ahead is a special portion of the El Paso Rugby Newsletter that can only be accessed by those who are active players and social members. Become a Social Member today! We'd love to have you be a part of the club.