About the Fog

The San Francisco Fog R.F.C. is a club committed to an ethic of inclusion. The vision of the club is to be the preeminent rugby club in the world that actively pursues the participation of people of color, gay men, women, and other groups traditionally under-represented in rugby.

The Fog has a strong coaching philosophy. We believe in developing each player to his potential as a rugby player.

The Fog is very explicit about its mission: to be a competitive Division II team in five to seven years. Here's how we plan to do it:

Goal 1: Create a team with the right attitude and chemistry, centered around a strong philosophy of coach and individual skills development. We want to be known as a relentless team that plays fair and with heart. We will work hard, and develop effective standards and habits. We will win half of our games. (Seasons 1-3)

Goal 2: Become a competitive Division III team finishing in the top half of the division. Make playoffs. (Season 3 or 4)

Goal 3: Become one of the top three teams in Division III play in the Northern California Rugby Union. Contend for championship. (Season 4 or 5)

Goal 4: Become Division III champions in the Northern California Rugby Union (Season 4, 5 or 6)

Goal 5: Become a competitive Division II team (Season 5, 6, or 7)

Our goal is not necessarily to win. It's to play together and to play hard. Then, winning takes care of itself.

Symbols & traditions

Perhaps because rugby is a product of Victorian England, there seems to be a strong tendency within the sport toward the development and maintenance of any number of time-honored rituals, customs, and symbols. Sometimes these traditions are known throughout the world--such as "shoot the boot" or kangaroo court--while others are unique to a particular team. Mindful of this, the San Francisco Fog R.F.C. has already begun establishing a legacy that future generations of Fog players can call their own.

THE COAT OF ARMS: One of the first efforts in this direction was the creation of the Fog coat of arms--a symbol that appeared first on our game jerseys. It is in some ways our team "logo," but beyond being merely an identifier, it also serves as a link to and reminder of the culture in which the game began. After a team trip to London and Manchester in January 2001, it seemed only fitting that the Fog develop arms of its own that were both meaningful and attractive.

In the language of heraldry, the Fog coat of arms is described as Barry nebuly of six Argent and Azure, on a bend Sable three mullets of the first. Colloquially, that's three silver stars within a black diagonal stripe, laid over a wavy blue-and-silver background.

Though it's by no means required, arms are sometimes developed with specific meanings in mind for each of the elements comprising it, and so it is with the Fog crest.

The patterned background, for instance, is called "barry nebuly" in the variant of Old French that is used in heraldry, and it's often taken to represent clouds, water, or air--all of which seemed appropriate for a team named after San Francisco's most famous meteorological phenomenon. The stars (or "mullets"), meanwhile, stand for the club's three constituencies: the players, the staff, and the supporters.

Mark Bingham (1970-2001)

One of our brothers, Mark Bingham, was tragically taken from us Tuesday, Sept. 11, 2001, during the terrorist attack on our nation. He was one of the 38 passengers on hijacked United Airlines flight 93 that crashed outside of Pittsburgh. Mark was 31 years old.

Mark epitomized what it means to be a Fog rugger, and we all learned a great deal from him. Aside from being a superb player, “Bear Trap” was a true gentleman and a generous friend. He will be sorely missed.

The team received this email from Mark a few weeks before his death. He wrote it when he learned that the Fog had been accepted as a permanent member of the Northern California Rugby Football Union.

Wow! What an inspiring email. This is a huge step forward for gay rugby.

When I started playing rugby at the age of 16, I always thought that my interest in other guys would be an anathema — completely repulsive to the guys on my team — and to the people I was knocking the shit out of on the other team. I loved the game, but KNEW I would need to keep my sexuality a secret forever. I feared total rejection.

As we worked and sweated and ran and talked together this year, I finally felt accepted as a gay man and a rugby player. My two irreconcilable worlds came together.

Now we've been accepted into the union and the road is going to get harder. We need to work harder. We need to get better. We have the chance to be role models for other gay folks who wanted to play sports, but never felt good enough or strong enough. More importantly, we have the chance to show the other teams in the league that we are as good as they are. Good rugby players. Good partiers. Good sports. Good men.

Gay men weren't always wallflowers waiting on the sideline. We have the opportunity to let these other athletes know that gay men were around all along — on their little league teams, in their classes, being their friends.

This is a great opportunity to change a lot of people's minds, and to reach a group that might never have had to know or hear about gay people.

Let's go make some new friends…and win a few games.

Congratulations, my brothers in rugby.
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Be well, Mark. We love you and miss you tremendously.