Five reasons to join an LGBTQ sports club and where to find one

By Emen8, updated 2 weeks ago in Health / Food and fitness

From wrestling and roller derby clubs to rowing and rugby union rucks, there’s plenty more to Australian LGBTQ sporting organisations than hot men in lycra and sweaty team bonding.

Whether you’re wanting to improve your health and fitness or simply open up your social circle, there are plenty of great reasons to join one of Australia’s many LGBTQ sports clubs. And chances are, there’s one right near you more than happy to take you on as its newest recruit.

So, let’s get physical and give one a go. Here are five great reasons to join a LGBTQ sports club now.

1. There are plenty to choose from

In most Australian states and territories there exists a wide variety of LGBTQ sports organisations to choose from. From the Argonauts rowing club in Melbourne and the Stingers water polo club in Sydney to the Aqualicious swim team in Brisbane, the options on offer to join arelimitless, both by sport category and location.

To find links to the many Australian LGBTQ sports clubs currently operating, scroll to the bottom of this page.

Joining an LGBTQ sports organisation is a great way to widen your network of friends, especially if you’ve recently moved to a new city or are simply feeling as though you’re in a bit of a social slump. In addition to weekly practice sessions, games and competitions, most LQBTI sports clubs also regularly host trivia nights, fundraisers and other fun events, so you’ll be able to bond with your team mates both on and off the field/river/wrestling mat.

Take heed of this wise old adage though: don’t shit where you eat. No matter how hot or handsome your fellow ten pin bowling partners or OUTdance compatriots are, avoid casual hook ups with your team members. Things will get messy if things go south. Friends of fellow players though are open season, so go for gold and always make sure to have a sexual health strategy in full stride – whether that be PrEP, condoms and lube, the utilisation of an undetectable viral load as an HIV prevention strategy or a combination thereof. And be sure to get tested at least every six months if you’re sexually active or each quarter if you’re particularly busy in the bedroom.

3. You’ll make meaningful connections

Platonic friendship isn’t the easiest thing to come by in gay bars or on the apps, where hook-ups and dating tend to be the name of the game. Which leave gay sports clubs as surprisingly rare places to connect with other LQBTQ people in a purely non-sexual way. So if you’re looking to have some more gay men in your life who will still be there after your first breakfast together, joining one of these sports organisations is a great way to start.

4. Fitness and health

If the monotony of your day to day gym routine is leaving you in a rut, joining a sports club may be the solution. Not only will your physical health and fitness improve, but connecting with others and exercising together as a team will also improve your mental wellbeing. It’s always easy to hit the snooze button at 6am when your alarm goes off and miss that morning gym session, but when others are relying on you to fill a four sweep rowing boat, sleeping in is no longer an option. Exercising with others will motivate and inspire you to up your fitness game.

5. They’re all-inclusive

The vast majority of LGBTQ sports clubs cater to everyone regardless of age, sexuality or gender, which make for positive and diverse communities where everyone feels at ease. Most are also open to novices, so don’t let your fitness level or lack of experience in the sport at hand deter you. Usually a range of beginners programs are on offer to give you a crash course and then different levels of fitness and experience are supported and trained in different leagues within the club’s various training sessions and competitions.