Madtown Scrumdown

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Steve Noll

A 2022 Madtown Scrumdown match.

A 2022 Madtown Scrumdown match.

media release: The Madtown Scrumdown 15s rugby tournament hosted by the Madison Minotaurs first occurred in 2018 after months of preparation by a team of three directors led by Drew Briski. The main goal in the first year was to see if it was possible for us to even hold a tournament of any size over a three team round robin. The second goal was to create a space for the Minotaurs to show the International Gay Rugby community that Madison is one of the premier rugby locations in the Midwestern United States.

As the tournament has grown in its first few years we’ve made it into more of an event for not only the players but the spectators as well. The host site, the Wisconsin Rugby Sports Complex in Cottage Grove, has one of the only clubhouses in the Midwest. This asset allows for balcony seating and an indoor bar and seating area for fans. We’ve also begun incorporating live entertainment in the form of a drag show occurring between matches to give fans a break from the rugby action.

Moving forward our goals for the tournament include making it a space for all queer identifying individuals to feel welcomed while participating in the sport of rugby alongside their ally teammates and to make the fan experience feel as close to a professional sporting event as possible.

For the 2023 event, gates open at 9am and the first games begin at 10am. There is a $5 admission for spectators, children under 18 are free. The team registration is closed and the list of participants is finalized.