Rugger-Buggers

Rugby. For some of us it conjures up nightmare images of being useless at it when we were at school, but some gay men love it, and play it. Of course there’s plenty of us who just like to look at the players - let's face it, there's usually someone in a team that will suit every taste. It seems to be one of those sports where being sexy as hell is a pre-requisite!

As much as our straight mates would deny it, there is something deeply homo-erotic about rugby. All these straight hotties with their heads in each other's crotches and all that intimate physical contact – it’s easy to wonder (or hope?) that even the players get a little twinge in their shorts now and then. Naturally, we're not saying they’re all actually gay like Gareth Thomas, the Welsh ex-captain who came out, but it's nice to watch them play and imagine they might be getting a little bit of fun out of all that man on man contact!

The Rugby World Cup means tens of thousands of fans will be rutting around our bigger cities for a good couple of months. And among those fans will be men looking for a bit of scrum-action off the field. In Auckland, the Council sponsored "Fan Trail" which goes right past the gay bars of the city. This could be interesting. There will be a whole lot of men looking for fun, even if they aren't always going to be all that ‘out’ about it.
And what we do know is that whenever there is a big sporting event, like RWC or the Olympics etc, we see an increase in the number of sexually transmitted infections.

People are excited. They're out for a good time. They want to celebrate a win, or get over a loss. It's going to be a big carnival, a lot of fun, a lot of chaos, and a lot of fucking! Now is a great time to think about your safe sex options and make sure you’re looking after yourself. Remember, some guys will come from countries with social cultures where condom use isn't top of mind, as it is here, so you might have to be really clear about what you expect. Just because he has a sexy Italian accent and a hot body doesn't mean he can't be carrying something you don't want.

It's easy to get swept away in the moment, it's easy to fall for someone hot, and if our defences are down it's easy to slip up and do things you wouldn't usually do, like fuck without a rubber. Sex is a game of two halves; look after yourself, and look after whoever might fall into your arms. Keep safe and play on!