It’s lights out, thighs out for the Gainesville Hogs Rugby Club on Friday night.
The team will be hosting its fifth annual Mr. Rugby Man Pageant at 8 p.m. at High Dive downtown at 210 SW Second Ave.
Tickets are available in advance for $10, or for $12 at the door.
What started as a hesitant fundraising idea has led to a fun event team members and fans alike look forward to every year, said Gage Miller, president of the Gainesville Hogs.
“A show like this is kind of nerve-wracking but, after the first year, we were convinced that it was a great fundraiser,” he said.
This year, the theme of the pageant is masquerade, and some team members have already started practicing their best catwalk. In the past, crowds of more than 100 people filled the room. Miller said this year would be no exception, and there will be something for everyone who attends.
“We have a flavor for every taste, I like to say,” Miller said.
The pageant will include several categories such as rugby wear, swimwear, formal wear and talent and will include more than 20 participants. Judging for each category will be entirely up to audience members, who will receive one vote per category.
The Gainesville Hogs Rugby Club has teamed up with Bras for a Cause, an organization that supports survivors of breast cancer. Attendees are encouraged to bring gently used bras to the event in support of the organization, and as an incentive, every bra and dollar donated will be worth an extra vote.
Men from the UF Rugby Club will also be in attendance.
Paul Rice, a 22-year-old UF economics and Spanish senior and UF Rugby Club member, said one thing rugby players love to do is show off their quads when they get the chance.
“If I were a hog, I’d participate,” he said.
Rice said the UF club team and the Gainesville Hogs often scrimmage together, and a lot of UF alumni play for the Hogs.
Every rugby club has their own set of songs that they sing on special occasions, but the Hogs and UF actually share a couple of them.
Rice said it’s tradition that if you mess up the lyrics, you must “kick the boot,” which is rugby lingo for drinking a wild mix of alcoholic beverages.
“It’ll be a rowdy bunch,” Rice said. “I just hope I don’t have to kick the boot.”
[A version of this story ran on page 7 on 2/19/2015 under the headline “GNV Hogs Rugby hosts fundraising pageant Friday"]
