Aberdeen Taexali Rugby Club is an LGBTQ+ inclusive rugby club based at Woodside Sports Complex in the north east of Scotland, and is one of four inclusive rugby teams in Scotland that cover Aberdeen, Edinburgh, Glasgow, and Dunfermline.
The club was founded in 2018, and since then has grown to become a key pillar in rugby in the north east, and for the local LGBTQ+ community.
Aberdeen Taexali’s mission is to help break down barriers that exist for people who ordinarily might not get involved in sport, whether that be because of sexual orientation, race, gender, age or prior rugby experience.
The club is proud to provide a safe, inclusive and active space in the sport of rugby union.
Aberdeen Taexali is an affiliated club with Scottish Rugby – Scotland’s governing body for rugby union, and International Gay Rugby (IGR) – a network of over 100 inclusive teams worldwide.
CLUB TIMELINE
2018
OCTOBER
CLUB FOUNDED
NOVEMBER
FIRST TRAINING SESSION
Aberdeen Taexali hosts first taster training session at Hazlehead Park on 4 November 2018, with five attendees picking up a rugby ball for the first time.
2019
JANUARY
CLUB OFFICIALLY FORMED
Formation of the club with a committee appointed and constitution written.
MAY
ABERDEEN TAEXALI HIT PRIDE
The club marched in the Grampian Pride parade with a giant inflatable rugby ball and hosted its own stall in the Pride Village, the first public appearance for the club.
JUNE
UNION CUP 2019 & AWARDS
Then chairman Bryan Sinclair and head coach Grant Skene joined the Glasgow Alphas at the 2019 Union Cup in Dublin. That same month the club was nominated for a Proud Scotland Award.
JULY
CELEBRATE ABERDEEN
The club came together with organisations in the city of Aberdeen for the Celebrate Aberdeen Parade which marched down Union Street. Due to overwhelming demand the club introduced a second midweek rugby training session which is hosted on Wednesday evenings.
OCTOBER
FIRST BIRTHDAY
The club was nominated for the Community Sports Project of the Year 2019 award at the Aberdeen Sports Awards which was hosted in October at the P&J Live Arena. The club also hosted its 1st Birthday celebrations. The club travelled down to BT Murrayfield in Edinburgh for the Caledonian Thebans’ annual rugby clinic, alongside 18 other inclusive teams from across the UK and Europe – the team played the club’s first ever friendly 10s fixtures.
2020
JANUARY
FIRST FIXTURE
Aberdeen Taexali competed in their first ever full 15s friendly match against the then named Glasgow Alphas at Clydebank Sports Hub on Saturday 11 January – the match ended 63-5 to the hosts.
MOVE TO WOODSIDE
After an extensive search, the club found its permanent home at Woodside Sports Complex in Aberdeen.
MARCH
FIRST SILVERWEAR
Aberdeen Taexali entered the development tier of Hadrian Cup 10s tournament at Percy Park, hosted by Newcastle Ravens. The team were triumpant over Azlans, York Templars, and Newcastle Ravens in the pool series to progress to the semi-final where they brushed aside Hull Roundheads. Aberdeen Taexali met fellow Scottish side Glasgow Alphas in the final where Aberdeen edged their west counterparts to win the Antinous Plate – the club’s first piece of silverware. Rob Clunas was voted the Player of the Tournament.
MARCH
RUGBY SUSPENDED
A week after Hadrian Cup, due to the global pandemic of Coronavirus (Covid-19), Scottish Rugby suspended all rugby in the country and were forced to conclude the 2019/20 season.
