2010 ISSUES June Issue 2010 Feature: The 2010 Bingham Cup
Scrumming it up
Twin Cities Welcomes Rugby Teams From Around the World for 5th Bingham Cup
On June 17, rugby teams from around the globe will gather in Minneapolis for the 2010 Bingham Cup Tournament. The event is an international, non-professional, gay rugby union tournament, named after Mark Bingham, a former California-Berkeley rugby player and fallen hero of United Airlines Flight 93
, which was hijacked by terrorists as part of the September 11 attacks in 2001. The tournament has grown exponentially since its inception and now hosts more than 30 teams from around the world, vying for the title of The Bingham Cup Champions. 
Teams initially will be seeded into four divisions (Cup, Plate, Bowl and Shield) based on various criteria, including current season record and ranking from previous year’s tournament standings. All teams will play an initial first match to better determine the division breakdown for the five-match schedule. After Match 1, the top and bottom four teams will be given a bye for Match 2. The other teams will compete in Match 2 to finalize the composition of each division. After Match 1 the divisions will be set.
Beginning with Match 3, the tournament will follow a traditional “knockout” structure. Seeding is determined by USA Rugby rules and by the judgment of the Bingham Cup 2010 Organizing Committee. On Sunday, June 20 the championship and consolation games will be played, determining the final ranks for all teams at Bingham Cup 2010. Tournament Director and Minneapolis Mayhem RFC Team Captain Joey Vollmar is particularly enthusiastic about this year’s event stating, “We couldn’t be more excited about this tournament and are certain Bingham Cup 2010 will be a memorable experience.”
The Bingham Cup was first hosted in 2002 by the San Francisco Fog RFC, Mark Bingham’s home team. That year, eight teams traveled to California to compete over two days, with Fog RFC coming out on top as the tournament’s first champions. The Bingham Cup has grown over time and continues to attract new teams stepping up to the challenge, competing for the ultimate win. This year’s tournament looks to be no different. 
Since its launch, The Bingham Cup tournament has also been hosted by King’s Cross Steelers RFC (London), Gotham Knights RFC (New York) and Emerald Warriors RFC (Dublin). At the last Cup, the Sydney Convicts came out on top, winning the Bingham Cup by defeating the Kings Cross Steelers, 18-3. The top North American team was the Gotham Knights, which took 3rd Place.
This year’s tournament will be held at Minneapolis’ infamous National Sports Center (NSC), the largest soccer complex in the world, according to the Guinness Book of World Records. Entertaining over 3.7 million visitors last year alone, the NSC has played host to many events, including the U.S. Olympic Festival, the International Special Olympics, the Olympic and World Championship Cycling Trials, and the U.S. Collegiate Lacrosse Championships. Rugby events hosted at the site include the Men and Women’s National Teams in full International Matches, The USA Rugby Women’s National Finals, and the Women’s National All Star Tournament.
This year’s hosts have been working tirelessly to try and create the biggest and most successful Bingham Cup to date. The Minneapolis Mayhem Rugby Football Club prides itself as one of the nation’s few male rugby clubs that makes the sport accessible to traditionally underrepresented groups, including gay men. The organization’s goal is to foster local, regional, national and international participation and competition in the game of Rugby Union Football, and to create an environment where members of the community can learn the laws and practice of rugby, thus improving their capabilities as players.
Ryan Davis, Mayhem RFC President says, “Our history may be brief, but our team continues to build our skills as players, our bond as teammates, and our relationships as friends. Our goal is simple: play rugby, have fun and keep moving forward.”
For more information on Bingham Cup and a complete lineup of tournament events and schedule, visit www.binghamcup.com.
Bingham Cup Champions
2002
San Francisco Fog
2004
San Francisco Fog
2006
Sydney Convicts (Cup)
Boston Ironsides (Bowl)
Sydney Convicts (Plate)
2008
Sydney Convicts (Cup)
World Barbarians (Bowl)
Atlanta Bucks (Plate)
Ulster Titans (Shield)
Comments (3)
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A-MAZING Tournament
It was simply amazing. As the matches completed and players made their way back to their team rally points, some weren't moving so fast; nursing wounds or injuries they had just acquired on the pitch like veterans of a foreign war, and STILL continued to play - for the sake of the team and the spirit of the sport. Yet, when you asked them how are they doing, every single one of them would fashion a crooked boyish smile or a cheesy grin as best as they could, and say "aw, I'll be fine". Do you need help? "Naw, It may take me a little longer - but i got this."
That is the kind of spirit we are all striving for, whether you are gay or not: to overcome life's minor setbacks and continue to press of for the greater good. Its more than just the sport, since the sport simply allows players like this the chance to build the spirit that binds them together, and the tournament provides a safe place to do it. This is a brotherhood of the best humanity has to offer. The tournament went extremely well, and Joe and his team should be commended for pulling it all off in a manner worthy of these players.
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