About US
We are proud to be Germany’s first gay and inclusive rugby club, offering rugby for everyone over 18. No matter how you want to play, we have a training for you, including:
Non-contact touch rugby for all gender identities.
FLINTA* full contact rugby for women, lesbians, intersex, non-binary, trans and agender people.
Men’s Team, which plays full contact in the Regionalliga and is welcomes cis men, trans, intersex, non-binary
and agender people.
We train in english to maximise inclusiveness
previous rugby experience isn't required
The History of the Bruisers
The Berlin Bruisers were founded in 2012. At first, training took place at Tiergarten and Tempelhofer Feld. Later, the club partnered with the Berlin Irish for training, but now, the club trains on its own at Neue Krugallee.
The club's first-ever match was a friendly game against the Emerald Warriors in March 2013. The first official match took place at the 2013 Union Cup against the Stockholm Berserkers.
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In 2014, the club started the bi-annual BashAbout - a barbarian 15s rugby tournament.
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The Bruisers featured in the 2018 documentary 'Tackling Life'. It premiered at Dok.Fest Munich and was shown at Berlinale in 2019.
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In 2021, the club founded its first FLINTA* team - opening competitive and touch rugby to all gender identities for the first time in its history.
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In response to an increasingly hostile environment towards trans* players in sport, in 2022 the club hosted the first FLINTA* Rugby Weekend. This created a space for FLINTA* rugby players from all over Europe to come train, play, and learn from one another with an express emphasis on TIN* inclusion. A highlight was a talk by sports scientist Blair Hamilton on her research into trans athletic performance.
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The board
The day-to-day running of the Berlin Bruisers is conducted by the board. It is currently made up of club members elected bi-annually at the Annual General Meeting.
Board members are volunteers and perform their roles in line with the club's constitution.
Uli Stadfeld
President
I'm Uli, the president of the Bruisers. Day to day, I ensure the club has everything it needs to provide training and host matches. I also play in our touch rugby team.
Timo Prouvost
Treasurer
Hi, I'm Timo. As Treasurer, I look after the Bruisers' accounts. Having played rugby for a number of years, I now coach and play with our touch rugby team.
Rachel Schneider
Vice President
Hi, I'm Rachel. I started playing rugby around eight years ago and founded the FLINTA* team here at the Bruisers. I can't wait to see you on the pitch!
Joel Fisher
Flinta* Team Rep
Hi, I'm Joel (they/them). I started playing rugby two years ago when the FLINTA* team was founded, and I'm proud to represent the team within the club, as well as be an ambassador for our team externally.
Jose
Social media manager
Hi! I’m Jose and I’m social media manager of the Bruisers. My life with rugby started last January, when I moved to Berlin from Ibiza. What started like a hobby now is a passion, perfect to share with my creative side. The Bruisers helped me to meet new people and made it easier for me to settle into the city.
Kieran murphy
board member
I'm Kieran and as a board member of the Bruisers, I help new people get integrated into the club. Currently, I play for our Men's Inclusive and Touch rugby teams.
Nico
Equipment Manager
Heya, I am Nico and I joined the Bruisers in 2013, so that makes me the Methusalem of the Bruisers! I am in charge of the equipment and medkits. My goal is to be a great Support Bear for my team!
CONTACT
Questions� ‬Looking to join a training? Please reach out to us using the form below.