Nashville To Host 2016 Bingham Cup

Via Facebook: "We are proud to announce that Nashville will host the 2016 Bingham Cup! Thanks to all of the players and supporters who participated in the vote and to Chicago and Boston for a spirited bid process. With you, brothers!" The 2014 event was held in Sydney.

Sydney Convicts Win Bingham Cup 2014

Via the Sydney Morning Herald:

The Sydney Convicts have retained the Bingham Cup - the gay and inclusive rugby World Cup - in a 31-0 grand final thrashing of the Brisbane Hustlers in Sydney. Australian teams dominated the three-day international tournament that ended with the one-sided decider in Rose Bay on Sunday. The Sydney Convicts, Australia's first gay rugby union club, fielded three teams in the tournament and their A team took out the top prize for the fourth time in the tournament's history. Held for the first time in the southern hemisphere since it began in 2002, the biennial competition was contested by 24 teams from 15 countries. NSW Governor Marie Bashir, US Ambassador to Australia John Berry, NSW rugby league State of Origin legend Steve Mortimer and local Liberal MP Malcolm Turnbull were all on hand for the seventh Bingham Cup decider. The clash follows a momentous week in Australian rugby, with the Australian Rugby Union announcing an inclusion policy to tackle homophobia.

Here's some "behind the scenes" beefcake.

Bingham Cup: Day Two Highlights

Bingham Cup Opens In Sydney

Ruggers In Drag

Some of New York City's Gotham Knights will perform in a drag show on Wednesday as part of their fundraising to send the team to the Bingham Cup in Australia. Details.

Rugby Calendar Men

Clip recap: "The Lowlanders are a gay rugby club in Amsterdam. This is the promo video for the making of their 2014 calendar, proceeds from the sale of which will finance their trip to Sydney to play in the Bingham Cup 27-31 August 2014." Possibly not work-friendly.

BRITAIN: Bingham Cup 2012 Begins

The gay rugby league's biannual Bingham Cup tournament begins tomorrow in Manchester, England. JMG tipster Greg tells us that about 1200 players from around the world are there, including the 2010 champions, NYC's Gotham Knights.

VIDEO: The 2010 Bingham Cup

JMG reader Sean Chapin sends us his videos of this year's Bingham Cup rugby championships, where NYC's Gotham Knights beat defending champions the Sydney Convicts. In the second clip, Alice Hoglan, the mother of 9/11 hero Mark Bingham, delivers a great speech.

Gotham Knights Win Bingham Cup

NYC's Gotham Knights rugby club won the Bingham Cup tournament in Minneapolis yesterday, beating the Sydney Convicts, the two-time defending champions. JMG reader Sean Chapin attended and writes:

The New York Gotham Knights have won the Bingham Cup 2010 against the Sydney Convicts by a final score of 18 to 15. It was a closely fought battle with three lead changes throughout the game, and Sydney missed a penalty kick (like a field goal in American football) at the end of the match, which would have sent the match into overtime if it was made. Other winners of the three-day tournament included the Los Angeles Rebellion (Bingham Plate), Sydney Convicts B Team (Bingham Bowl), Dublin Emerald Warriors (Bingham Shield), Phoenix Storm (Alice Hoagland Crest) and Seattle Quake B Team (Bingham Spoon). Members from 30 clubs attended, with 24 teams fielded in the tournament, and the Minneapolis Mayhem Rugby Football Club were fantastic as hosts of the well-executed tournament.

The tournament is named for Mark Bingham, the openly gay rugby player who is believed to be one of the passengers who fought back against the hijackers of United Airlines Flight 93 on September 11th, 2001.

[Photo credit: Grant Bowers]

Big Money For Gay Rugby

Wow. Next year's international gay rugby tournament, the Bingham Cup, which takes place in Dublin, has received a €100,000 sponsorship from Irish betting group Paddy Power, the largest sponsorship ever for a gay event in Ireland.

Bingham Cup tournament director Richie Whyte: "Paddy Power have an innovative and risk taking approach to the market. We are delighted that they see the Bingham Cup as a good fit for them both in terms of its sporting potential and public profile. The Bingham Cup Dublin will be both the largest amateur XVs rugby tournament held in the country in 15 years and the biggest international gay-oriented event ever held in Ireland."

The 2006 Bingham Cup was held in New York City. Of course, I had the most fun at the after-parties. Oh,and €100,000? What's that these days, about a million dollars?