the essential
To celebrate the club's 18th anniversary, Tou'Win Rugby leaders are organizing a tournament in the presence of inclusive teams. A good-natured competition that emphasizes access to sport for all.
In 2006, Tou'Win was born with great ambitions: “to allow everyone to play rugby, including people who did not feel accepted in traditional clubs”. 18 years later, inclusive rugby has come a long way. So much so that the pink and black are hosting their second inclusive interclub tournament this weekend, the “Tou’Win’Clusive cup”.
For Dimitri Iatosti, co-president of the team and Hugo Oneda-Ianotto, vice-president of Tou'Win rugby, this journey is nothing less than a source of pride. “We are here to see a beautiful game,” they exclaim. Rugby union more precisely, with reduced match durations (two ten-minute halves, fifteen minutes for the final).
Their names are Clément, Valentin, or even Hugo, and they all have two things in common. First, their passion for the oval. Then, they are all members of the LGBTQIA+ community. However, the spirit and values of sport are never far away.
Emancipate rugby from its virilist image
This Saturday they put on their crampons for the championship final. The Toulouse residents must face a formidable opponent: the Parisian Gaillards, the capital's inclusive club. There's nothing at stake today on the pitch of the Alain Coulon stadium, other than having fun, and playing recreational rugby in a “safe place” – that is, a safe place.
However, Tou'Win rugby had a difficult start. None of the club's current directors played the sport at the time. But according to the memory of Dimitri Iatosti, co-president of the team, “in 2006 we played in potato fields”. Today, rugby players are entitled to more comfortable pitches, and the Tou'Win rugby initiatives have borne fruit. “The French Rugby Federation supports us with its inclusion campaigns,” explains Dimitri Iatosti. “We are managing to take rugby away from its virilist image, from the homophobic cries in the stands and from the language of the locker room,” adds Hugo Oneda-Ianotto. The strong support of Antoine Dupont, the star of the XV of France and Stade Toulouse for his homosexual sports companions brings balm to the hearts of the Tou'Win players.
After this tournament, and on the strength of their multiple victories, the Toulouse residents are thinking about what comes next. Reorganize a tournament for the 20th anniversary of the association? It's almost certain. Create a championship reserved for inclusive clubs? There is something to tempt the staff, even if there are “only six clubs” in this situation in France. With the growth of this rugby open to all, the leaders of Tou'Win and the supporters hope to achieve this… and make small contributions in other cities.
