Kicking Off An Era Of Gender Inclusive Rugby!
In 2019, Japan hosted the Rugby World Cup, which was met with unprecedented acclaim by both the people of the host nation and by visitors, who marvelled at the excellence of the organization and the joy of the sport that seemed to permeate the whole country. it also served to massively increase interest in the sport in Japan, with some surveys reporting an increase in the number of rugby fans in Japan of 138%.
It should come as no surprise, then, that there are many people from the LGBTQ+ community who were and are inspired and excited by rugby, and want to learn to play the game for themselves. However, there are some lingering feelings among some queer people that sports isn’t for them, and they may be concerned that any club they join might be unwelcoming.
Enter the Tsurumi Brats Rugby Club, Japan’s first all gender and sexuality inclusive rugby club. JGG was fortunate enough to speak to the co-founders, Aaron Pokluda and Daniel Tallman, to talk us through the club’s origins, present, and future.
The History of the Tsurumi Brats Rugby Club
Pokluda and Tallman first met playing rugby for different clubs in Setagaya, Tokyo and Yokohama, Kanagawa back in 2024, but after spending a little time abroad for work, Pokluda found that, on return to Tokyo, he didn’t have a home club to return to, after being away from Japan. Further, both he and Tallman sensed that there was a certain something missing from the clubs that they had played for before, and so decided to start their own team.
One of the primary goals of the Tsurumi Brats is to create an inclusive and safe space for people who may be a little nervous about trying sports to try out rugby, and enjoy the thrill of the sport without fear.
”We wanted the team to be competitive but at the same time welcome anyone keen for a go, which is something we felt the Tokyo rugby scene was missing,” Pokluda says. “From that conversation, the Brats were born, first with an Instagram account, followed by a few posts, and finally with our inaugural practice in May of 2025. We had 6 people attend our first practice in Yotsuya, and since then we’ve grown to fielding a full 15 player game (with substitutes!) and created an incredibly deep and diverse player, supporter, and sponsor community.”
It truly has been an incredible period of growth and achievement for the team, with many of their players being totally new to the sport, but nevertheless through enthusiasm and grit managing to hold their own against seasoned opponents. Pokluda reflects that after their match against another Tokyo club, “[when we] mentioned we were especially grateful that they were willing to be our first match, many of the players outside their admin were very impressed as they thought we were a team with longer prep time and more experience.”
Not only this, but being an inclusive team has helped their players to develop off the pitch, as well as on it.
“A number of our non-LGBTQ+ players didn’t realize we were an inclusive team until they looked into our team constitution and started talking with other members of the team. We were concerned in the past that people may not want to play with us if they knew we held these inclusive values and had so many queer members but so far that has not been the case,” Tallman says.
“We’ve had players who have expressed that being a part of the team has taught them how to be better allies to queer people in their lives, whether that be their co-workers, their friends or their family. This is the exact outcome we hoped we would have on individuals outside of the LGBTQ+ community when we created the team and it’s been very inspiring.”
What Next for the Tsurumi Brats?
The Tsurumi Brats’ journey is only just beginning, however! After a successful first year, the team are looking ahead to a full year of rugby fun. As the spring season begins, the team is working towards practicing to raise their “Rugby IQ” and become even more competitive as the year moves ever onwards. This includes booking more matches, which can be a little tricky, though the Brats have received an incredible welcome from all their brothers in rugby.
“For the most part everyone has been exceptional regarding inclusivity! Many teams are able to see our social media accounts and understand that we are an LGBTQ+ inclusive team, and have not voiced any issues with it,” Pokluda says.
“The main issue we have encountered is regarding scheduling conflicts as we are a new team without a direct league to report to, so many of our games are arranged by us. This means that we arrange the field, the referee and have to work around the other team’s schedules.
“Many teams afterwards have spoken with us and discussed future collaborations, and are keen to see us grow. The rugby community has been very positive about the Brats both in Tokyo and in the adjoining prefectures of Kanagawa and Saitama. We’ve also built connections as far as Hiroshima and Nagano. It’s amazing seeing the Brats grow everyday!”
The Brats are also looking for sponsorships, to help fund their activities.
“We do have a sponsorship tier system that will allow you to advertise your brand with the Tsurumi Brats in a variety of ways depending on your contribution. Right now we are very lucky to be sponsored by Yosumi Izakaya in Noborito, Gay Agenda Japan 和 Good Heavens Pub and have them proudly displayed on our jersey,” Tallman says. “Regardless of how you would like to support the Brats, we would love to hear from you and you can reach us on Instagram, @bratsrugbytsurumi. Finally, we are always looking for supporters so if you just want to be a fan and support us please follow our Instagram and join us at a game!”
They are also holding “Scrumdump 2026” at Tokyo Eagle Blue on 18 April. This will see three professional queens turn a Tsurumi Brat Rugby player into a drag queen for the night! But what is all of the funding going towards? Well, the Brats have big dreams!
Queer Rugby Around the World
In addition to taking on domestic Japanese teams, the Tsurumi Brats set themselves the goal of becoming a part of International Gay Rugby, and in taking part in their events – a goal they achieved soon after their founding.
“International Gay Rugby (IGR) is the organizing body of inclusive rugby around the world. IGR organizes tournaments and helps support the mission of making Rugby a sport for everyone,” Tallman explains. “When Aaron and I formed the Brats one of my goals as a co-founder was to associate the Brats with IGR because IGR was where I started my Rugby career. I actually started my rugby journey in 2022 in Boston, USA with the Boston Ironsides, an IGR Rugby team.”
The highlight event for queer rugby players is the Bingham Cup, the IGR’s largest tournament. No team from Asia has yet attended, but the Brats intend to change that.
“Coming up this Summer we plan to take a small group down south to Australia for the Bingham Cup. The Bingham Cup is IGR’s World Championship, occurring every two years and where inclusive rugby teams from around the world compete for the grand prize. Imagine World Pride and then mix that with a Rugby tournament and that’s a good start to understanding the energy of the Bingham Cup,” Tallman explains. “While the Brats are still a new team and don’t have the resources to travel as a full squad we do want to bring a group down to Australia to spread the word and help attract more support and interest from other IGR teams and potential sponsors. This would be the first time an East Asian Team has ever attended the Bingham Cup so we have the potential to make history.”
At the end of the day, rugby — and all sports — are about having fun and supporting one another. The Tsurumi Brats are already champions in this regard, just as Podluka and Tallman hoped for.
“I fell in love not only with the sport but the community that the Ironsides created, particularly in the way that I didn’t feel I needed to censor myself and hide who I was around my teammates as an out, gay man,” says Tallman. “It’s my hope that the Brats can have the same effect here in Japan where people can feel comfortable and safe expressing themselves and know they have a community of queer people and allies around them.”
Tallman agrees: “The thing I hope people take away from anything the Tsurumi Brats do is that Rugby is for everyone. Regardless of your gender, sexuality, religion, race, HIV status, etc. sport is something you deserve to enjoy and experience wholeheartedly without shame or fear. As queer people we are often told what we cannot do and I hope that through Inclusive Rugby we can challenge that reality and create a more inclusive future for everyone in Tokyo!”
Are you interested in becoming a Tsurumi Brat? You can see more and get in touch on their Instagram, or get in touch directly at tsurumibratsrugby@gmail.com!
