(New York, Wednesday January 21, 2009) The International Gay Rugby Association and Board (IGRAB) announced today that its 2010 world championship tournament, The Bingham Cup®, will take place at the National Sports Center in Blaine, Minnesota. The Minneapolis Mayhem RFC won the rights to host the 2010 tournament, currently scheduled for June 17-20, 2010, in a vote held among IGRAB member clubs.

Minneapolis promises world-class venue

Member clubs indicated that the National Sports Center location was one of the strongest aspects of the Minneapolis bid. The National Sports Center, billed as the world’s largest amateur sports facility, has hosted the USA and Canadian national rugby teams and the USA national rugby championships. IGRAB members were also drawn by the temperate June weather in Minnesota, the many cultural offerings of the Twin Cities, and the region’s vibrant gay and lesbian community.

The Minneapolis bid effort was led by Matty Strickler, a member of Mayhem RFC. “On behalf of the Minneapolis Mayhem I am deeply honored that we have been chosen to host The Bingham Cup in 2010,” Strickler said. “We look forward to hosting the IGRAB community and are very grateful to have this opportunity to pay tribute to Mark Bingham. With the support of the incredible GLBT and rugby communities in Minnesota we are confident that we will host an event that honors his memory and showcases the tenacity, determination and skill of IGRAB players and teams.”

“The Minneapolis Mayhem has put forth an outstanding proposal that focuses on providing a world class rugby experience for the players who will be traveling from across the world,” added Alex Fallis, IGRAB’s chairman. “We’re very excited about traveling to Minnesota for the 2010 world championship.”

Non-gay club bids to host gay rugby world championship

In a close vote, IGRAB members chose the Minneapolis bid over one from the Sin City Irish RFC of Las Vegas, Nevada. The Las Vegas proposal was unique in that the host club is comprised primarily of straight players.

“Despite not identifying as a ‘gay rugby club’, Sin City submitted an excellent bid to host the Bingham Cup,” Fallis said. “While the majority of members chose Minneapolis, the fact that a traditionally ‘straight’ club wanted to host our tournament speaks volumes about the growth and recognition of The Bingham Cup and gay rugby.”