User:Collinconroy

The Minneapolis Mayhem Rugby Football Club is one of the nation’s few male rugby clubs that makes the sport accessible to traditionally underrepresented groups, including people of color and members of the gay, lesbian, bisexual, and trans-gender (GLBT) community. Since forming in 2004, the Mayhem have been fortunate enough to play against teams from Minnesota, across the country, and around the world. Mayhem RFC is a member of the Minnesota Rugby Football Union (MNRFU), the Midwest Rugby Union, USA Rugby, and International Gay Rugby Association and Board (IGRAB). The Division III club trains and plays regularly in Minneapolis.

History
Dave Peil, then owner of Grumpy’s Bar in Minneapolis, worked with a local rugby club The Metropolis RFC hosting fundraisers and third halves, tossed around the idea of starting a new predominantly gay rugby club.

Following the model laid out in the “Starting a Club” primer by San Francisco Fog RFC founder Derrick Mickle, Peil set out generating interest through posters in bars, talking to whomever would listen, and starting a Yahoo Group (TCGayRugby) to communicate with interested people. The interest came in from around the country, board members from clubs in larger cities offering advice and words of caution that it may take a year to get enough player to field a team.

By November 2004 the outline for the future of the club was in place. A short term goal was enough members to make strong showing at the Pride Festival in June 2005, a major recruiting opportunity.

The first board was elected on February 26th 2005, naming newly founded team the Minneapolis Freeze. The name was then officially changed on March 6th when it was discovered there was an inactive club in Northern MN who had that name. The second choice of The Minneapolis Mayhem was chosen and continues today. The first practice was on March 2nd 2005, held under the Hennepin Avenue Bridge in Minneapolis. 22 people came out for the first practice. =

Bingham Cup
The Mayhem played in their first Bingham Cup in 2006, hosted by the Gotham Knights in New York, NY. Just over 12 months after forming, the Minneapolis Mayhem placed 5th out of 10 teams in the Plate Division.