Gavin Hyde It's New Zealand's only male beauty pageant for the ‘bears' among us! If you reckon you've got what it takes, then have another pie, leave that chest hair to grow thick and bushy, and head to Auckland's Urge Bar at 490 K' Road for Mr Urge New Zealand Bear 2007 on Saturday 31st March. Do you think contestant Gavin Hyde, 34, knows what he's letting himself in for? “I missed last year's event but the photos I've seen show the guys get down to their swimwear,” he says with a smile. “I'm not a weekly regular, but when I do go out, I go to Urge. It's my bar of choice”. Winning the big title could take Gavin a long way. Last year's winner Damian Calleja won a trip to Melbourne, where he won Mr Australasia Bear – and then he even went to America to compete at shows there. This year's winner will also get return flights to Melbourne to represent Aotearoa in the biggest bears event in the southern hemisphere. All proceeds from the Urge competition night will go to Body Positive and the New Zealand AIDS Foundation. Last year over $800 was raised in just 20 minutes, so now they're looking to break that record. We hear there's still a couple of places left in the competition – they're looking for guys of all shapes and sizes who are up for a laugh and also keen to raise money for the worthy causes. If you're interested, contact Alan on 021 299-7610 or email urgebar@ihug.co.nz. A keen rugby player, Gavin loved playing sport at school during his lunchtimes, and now plays for a social rugby team every weekend. “I play for the Ponsonby Legions social team. They used to play the Ponsonby Heroes gay rugby team every year because they were in the same grade.” The best thing about playing rugby is being part of a team,” the sportsman explains. “Within that team, different sections have different jobs to do. For example, I'm a front row prop, or hooker, and that's the ‘grunt' of the team, so you're pushing the ball forward. You're the first line of defense against the other forwards. You can make a real difference in that area. We're not the ones which run fast with the ball. “So you can make a real difference in doing that job well, and still contribute to the whole team.” He says he's open with his teammates about his sexual orientation. “I've never had an issue with my sexuality – I've always been out in my workplace and my sports. But it helps when you're a bigger person… and if the others are smaller than you!” Ponsonby Heroes, the gay rugby team set up in 1998, isn't currently running. Gavin's hoping to get something similar up and going again, and is currently looking for gay rugby players throughout New Zealand. “About a year and a half ago we put the team into recess because the numbers had dropped off,” he says. “Previous to that, it had been very successful and had played club rugby for five years in a row. “There's an international gay rugby tournament that happens every two years. The next one is in Dublin in May next year. That's an opportunity to ‘re-surge' the team. At the moment I'm currently recruiting for people interested in going.” So if you're keen to join a local gay rugby team, contact Gavin via email at: heroes.rugby@orcon.net.nz. And we'll be cheering loud for you at the Mr Urge NZ Bear contest Gavin! Matt Akersten - 24th March 2007