The Gay Rugby Podcast

What started as a lighthearted attempt to call out our guest quickly turned into one of the most honest conversations we've had on the Gay Rugby Podcast.This week, we're joined by Big Dipper, co-host of the Sloppy Seconds podcast, musician, comedian, and one of the most recognizable voices in queer media. We finally confront him about comments he made regarding gay rugby, but what follows is a much bigger conversation about community, identity, belonging, and the complicated relationship gay men have with each other.Along the way, we dive into bear culture, LGBTQ representation, queer creators, social media burnout, gay dating, inclusive sports, and why it can sometimes feel harder to find acceptance within the LGBTQ community than outside of it. Big Dipper shares stories from his career, talks about building a successful LGBTQ podcast, reflects on his experiences in queer spaces, and opens up about the insecurities that can persist even after years of success. One of the most fascinating parts of the conversation centers on a question that many gay men have asked themselves at one point or another: why do we seem so willing to celebrate each other from a distance, but struggle to support one another up close? It's a conversation about queer identity, community dynamics, internalized homophobia, and the challenges that come with creating authentic LGBTQ content in an increasingly crowded digital world.We also talk about gay rugby culture, LGBTQ athletes, bear community stereotypes, creator life, online criticism, queer music, mental health, and what it means to carve out a place for yourself in modern gay culture.If you've ever felt like an outsider in your own community, wondered why LGBTQ spaces can sometimes feel divided, or questioned where you fit into the broader queer world, this episode will probably hit close to home.The Gay Rugby Podcast explores LGBTQ sports, queer culture, travel, dating, relationships, mental health, and the stories that bring our community together. Hosted by Jack Higgins and Ozzie Luna, each episode features candid conversations, unexpected perspectives, and plenty of laughs along the way.Empowered by Friend of Dorothy: https://friend-of-dorothy.com/Elevate your well-being with our thoughtfully curated range of products designed specifically for gay men.New episodes every week.Filmed, edited and produced by Jack HigginsExecutive Producer Ozzie LunaConnect with The Gay Rugby Podcast on social media! Instagram https://www.instagram.com/gayrugbypodcast/Tik Tokhttps://www.tiktok.com/@gayrugbypodcast?lang=enYouTubehttps://shorturl.at/OztS0Views and opinions in the podcast do not reflect the views and opinions of the Los Angeles Rebellion Rugby Club

In Episode 35 of The Gay Rugby Podcast, we sit down with Gabe Garcia (they/them), a former ballerina who walked away from the studio and into the chaos of rugby. Trained in classical dance, Gabe spent years chasing perfection before discovering rugby for beginners - a sport that values presence, teamwork, and showing up exactly as you are.Gabe talks about joining the Phoenix Storm Rugby Club, learning the game from scratch, and finding their footing inside a gay rugby team built on trust and shared effort. We get into the physical shock of contact, how a dance background translates (and sometimes doesn’t), and what makes rugby culture feel different from other sports.The episode also touches on a trans-inclusive rugby match, treated not as a spectacle but as a normal day on the pitch: scrums, tackles, mistakes, and momentum. It’s a small but telling example of why inclusive rugby and LGBTQ rugby clubs have become real entry points for players who never felt welcome elsewhere.This conversation lives at the intersection of rugby podcasts and LGBTQ sports podcasts, offering an honest athlete interview about switching disciplines, starting rugby later in life, and building community through sport. It’s a grounded look at queer athletes in sports, the reality of learning how to start playing rugby, and why rugby keeps pulling in people from unexpected places.

Rugby has a way of taking more than it gives. In Episode 33 of the Gay Rugby Podcast, we sit down with Chris Brandenburg of the Portland Lumberjacks Rugby Club on site in Palm Springs, CA during the Rucktacular Rugby Tournament to talk about what happens when the sport you love breaks your body and why you keep coming back anyway.Chris opens up about serious injuries, breaking his leg twice, long recovery stretches, and the mental toll that comes with being sidelined. But this episode isn’t just about rugby injuries or rehab timelines. It’s about showing up, for your teammates, for your city, and for a community that’s been forced to stay resilient whether it wanted to or not.The Portland Lumberjacks are more than a gay rugby team. They’re a fixture of Portland’s LGBTQ sports community and a rare example of inclusive rugby still thriving at the grassroots level. We talk about what it means to play gay rugby in Portland right now, how the team rebuilt itself, and why inclusive sports spaces matter even more when queer communities feel politically targeted.This conversation lives at the intersection of rugby injury recovery, LGBTQ athletics, and community identity. It’s about pain, stubbornness, and the quiet decision to keep showing up when walking away would be easier. If you’re interested in gay rugby, inclusive rugby clubs, Portland sports culture, or the reality behind comeback stories, this episode keeps it honest.

What’s it actually like to be straight on a gay rugby team? In this episode of the Gay Rugby Podcast, we sit down with Garrett Mack, Vice President of Marketing, and Daniel, Secretary of the San Francisco Fog Rugby Club, to talk about identity, masculinity, and how inclusive sports culture works in real life; not just on paper.Founded in 2000, SF Fog Rugby is the first gay and inclusive rugby team on the West Coast and one of the most established LGBTQ+ rugby clubs in the United States. The Fog welcome players of all sexual orientations, gender identities, and experience levels, creating a team culture built on respect, competition, and community. From beginner-friendly entry points to high-level competitive play, Fog Rugby has become a model for inclusive rugby clubs nationwide and a cornerstone of San Francisco’s LGBTQ sports scene.Garrett and Daniel share how the Fog’s inclusive approach plays out on and off the pitch, including what it means to have straight and queer teammates building trust through full-contact sport. The conversation touches on how inclusive sports teams challenge outdated ideas about masculinity, why representation in rugby matters, and how the Fog continues to grow its reach through community engagement and visibility.The episode also honors the legacy of Mark Kendall Bingham, a Fog Rugby player whose impact extends far beyond rugby. Mark Bingham was one of the passengers who helped stop Flight 93 on September 11, and his legacy lives on through the Bingham Cup, the largest international gay rugby tournament in the world. Hosted every two years, the Bingham Cup brings together LGBTQ+ rugby teams from across the globe and stands as a powerful symbol of courage, inclusion, and rugby for all.Whether you’re searching for a gay rugby team, an inclusive rugby club in San Francisco, or curious about LGBTQ+ rugby history, this episode offers real insight into how inclusive team sports function day to day. If you’ve ever wondered how to join a rugby team, what gay rugby culture is actually like, or how inclusive sports communities thrive, this conversation delivers honest perspective from inside the huddle.Learn more about San Francisco Fog Rugby and how to get involved at fogrugby.com, and explore the global impact of inclusive rugby through International Gay Rugby and the Bingham Cup. Like, subscribe, and share for more conversations about rugby, identity, and community.

In Episode 29 of The Gay Rugby Podcast, hosts Jack Higgins and Ozzie Luna sit down with “Rugby Daddy” himself, longtime New-York City rugby lifer (and Gotham Knights legend) Kevin Healy, for a conversation that pulls back the curtain on the early days of gay and inclusive rugby, when there was no Instagram, no Tinder, just sweaty post-game beers, in-person recruiting, and a handful of shirts passed around the pitch.Over two decades playing for Gotham Knights RFC: one of the founding clubs of International Gay Rugby (IGR) in the United States. Kevin witnessed first-hand how gay rugby went from underground whispers to international tournaments like the Bingham Cup. But this isn’t just nostalgia. As “Rugby Daddy,” Healy turned his love for the sport and his affection for the community into a print-on-demand merch company helping inclusive rugby teams fundraise, build identity, and support players. On this episode he shows us his shirt designs, and talks about how merch became a lifeline for teams across the IGR network.We dig deep into the taboo and the tenderness of dating teammates, a reality some have lived, few have spoken about. We talk love and loyalty, identity and passion, the unspoken rituals of the locker room, and why being on a rugby team can feel like finding a home.Whether you’re a seasoned rucker, a curious newcomer, or someone who just wants to see what happens when toughness meets tenderness; tune in. This isn’t just about sport. It’s about belonging.