About us

We are the only LGBTQ+ rugby club in the Netherlands. Our goal is for everyone to enjoy rugby in a prejudice free environment and consider rugby to be for all. We are committed to creating a safe and welcoming environment where players of all levels of experience feel at home.

Goals

Create a team that values and plays competitive and social rugby;
Deliver training programmes at various levels to all players to enhance their abilities;
Provide an environment in which persons of various genders, sexual orientations, ethnicities, and socioeconomic backgrounds can feel comfortable about themselves while participating in rugby;
Ensure that all of its players gain self-confidence and motivation;
Encourage, grow, and connect the Club’s supporter network, as well as promote stronger community ties;
Offer an active social program for the benefit of players and supporters; and
Collaborate with other LGBTQ+ sports organisations, sports organisations, and Rugby Netherlands to advance diversity and inclusion in sport and society.

History of the club

In 1995, the first International Gay Rugby organisation was founded.
In 2003, we started with the first practice sessions in the woods of Amsterdam under the name NOP, coached by a trailblazing trans coach.
In 2008, we joined the Amstelveense Rugby Club and participated for the first time in the Bingham Cup, the world’s biggest LGBTQ+ rugby tournament.
In 2011, we had the honour to host the European version, the Union Cup in Amsterdam and Amstelveen.
In 2012, we scored our first Bingham Cup try in Manchester.
In 2014, we won our first Bingham Cup matches in Sydney and were honoured with the Ben Cohen StandUp Award for excellent sportsmanship in rugby.
In 2018, we hosted the Bingham Cup Amsterdam 2018 with more than 64 men and women teams, the biggest edition in the history of the tournament. This was also the first time the tournament was organised in continental Europe and included a women’s tournament.
In 2020, we initiated our W team which competed in the women's division.
In 2020, the Lowlander M started playing in the national social competition.
In 2023, we initiated our own LGBTQ+ rugby tournament “The Amsterdam Cup”.
In 2023, we expanded to include our Pink team, that competed in the Union Cup Birmingham. At this tournament, our W team finished at the top of the women's Cup.
In 2024, our W team won the Amanda Cup at Bingham in Rome, our M Orange team finished 2nd in their division and our M Pink team won their first Bingham match against Oslo.

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