When the San Diego Armada Football Club entered its season in mid-January, it didn’t expect to compete for a championship. As San Diego’s only gay-friendly rugby team, the Armada has been long on perseverance, and short on success (at least in terms of wins and losses).

This year’s season has, so far, been another test for the club. Despite having battled half a dozen matches, the Armada remains winless.

Success comes in different measures, says Carlos Legazpi, the always upbeat team captain, and things are improving for the Armada.

“I’m very pleased with how this season is going so far,” said Legazpi. “Our games are much closer this year than last, and overall we are playing much better.”

Legazpi also said his team is still “in” matches much longer this year than they were last year, making the 2008 Armada a more competitive team.

During the season, the Armada will play against other San Diego teams, and teams throughout Southern California, most of which are comprised of all straight players. The season is less of an organized competition, and more an opportunity to test and measure against other ruggers. That said, for most of the teams, there’s no trophy at the end, no invitation to national competition for division winners and no end-of-the-season honors to outstanding players.

The Armada play not for glory, but for sheer sport and, pardon my cliché, the simple love of the game.

Don’t get me wrong, the mostly gay ruggers aren’t a Girl Scout troupe, and they don’t sit around congratulating each other on a “good effort.” They are as rough and tumble a group of athletes as you’ll find, and measuring their mettle by their number of victories would be a mistake, I suspect, you’d only make once.

That said, while they have a few upcoming matches, arguably the team’s biggest contest will be March 8, against the L.A. Rebellion, one of the only other gay rugby teams in Southern California.

Armada and the Rebellion have struck a friendly rivalry. Though the season is young, the Rebellion can claim one thing the Armada can’t: a victory in 2008. The Armada will be looking to even that score in a couple weeks.

If you haven’t seen a rugby match, you owe it to yourself to get out and watch. It’s a lot of hard-hitting, fast-paced action. Oh, and the eye-candy ain’t bad either! For more information on the Armada, or how to get to its match against the Rebellion, visit www.sdarmada.org. Matches are free to the public, and the Armada would love to have a nice cheering section.

It never ceases to amaze me just how many gay and lesbian baseball fans there are in our community. Of course this is San Diego so most of us are Padres fans, but, as disappointing as it is to admit, there are also plenty of Giants, Angels, Rockies, Mariners and Cubs fans, too.

While at some point during the 2008 Major League Baseball season, all of those teams will be coming through San Diego, there is one place where fans can go to watch almost all their favorite teams: the Arizona Cactus League – MLB’s Spring Training.

Arizona baseball in March is as rich a tradition as any in baseball.