Congratulations to the Sydney Convicts for their victories in the 2006 Bingham Cup and Plate divisions, and to the Boston Ironsides for their win in the inaugural Bowl division. Final scores from the matches, held May 26-28 in New York City, are available at results.binghamcup.com. Official placings in each division are as follows:

Cup

1. Sydney Convicts
2. San Francisco Fog
3. Washington Renegades
4. Gotham Knights
5. Seattle Quake
6. King’s Cross Steelers
7. Los Angeles Rebellion
8. Manchester Village Spartans

Bowl

1. Boston Ironsides
2. Dallas Diablos
3. Philadelphia Gryphons
4. Austin Lonestars
5. Chicago Dragons
6. Atlanta Bucks
7. Portland Avalanche
8. (Dublin) Emerald Warriors

Plate

1. Sydney Convicts
2. World Barbarians
3. Washington Renegades
4. Gotham Knights
5. Minneapolis Mayhem
6. Cardiff Lions
7. Phoenix Storm
8. San Francisco Fog
9. (Toronto) Muddy York
10. Amsterdam NOP

Support for the 2006 Bingham Cup, the largest amateur rugby competition aimed primarily at gay men’s teams, is running ahead of expected levels, with a new title sponsor and many teams expressing support for the new women’s divisions.

The Bingham Cup is the biennial international rugby competition named after Mark Bingham, a hero of United flight 93 on September 11, 2001. Bingham played for gay and bisexual rugby team the San Francisco Fog after leading UC Berkeley to national championships. The next Bingham Cup takes place in New York City in May 2006, and organizers expect 1,000 male players from at least ten countries, plus womens teams.

“We’re thrilled that XXL, a very popular London club, is our title sponsor,” said tournament chair Brian Devinney. “They join our other corporate sponsors, NZ Union clothing, United Airlines, Budweiser, Red Bull, Edirp Travel and the Roosevelt Hotel. It’s exciting to have so much support already, with about six months still to go until opening day on May 23, 2006.”

The decision to add women’s rugby is also boosting excitement for the tournament. “Already, New York Rugby Club and the Washington Furies have confirmed they will play in the first ever Bingham Cup women’s divisions,” said coordinator Toby Butterfield. “Teams from all over the USA, and even Canada are interested. USA Rugby moved the 2006 women’s national playoffs from Spring to Fall, so we expect teams to hone their skills at 2006 Bingham Cup next May.”

The competition has garnered many friends in women’s rugby and beyond. “The Bingham Cup is a rugby competition that truly embodies the spirit of the sport: hard-hitting competition, fabulous social events and the opportunity to meet new and old friends from around the country and the world,” said Lois Bukowski, a current Northern California/Pacific Coast B-3 ref who ended her playing career in 2002 with perennial National Champions, the Berkeley Allblues, after 15 years of experience at the club and representative side level. Bukowski, who refereed at both prior Bingham Cup events, is set to come to New York for the third one next May.

Following a sensational long weekend of rugby in London in May 2004, IGRAB selected New York City’s Gotham Knights to host the third Bingham Cup on Memorial Day Weekend 2006. The host committee, headed by Brian Devinney, Gotham’s fundraising chair, plans an ambitious program of sporting and social events starting with coaching and player clinics on 24-25 May 2006 and rugby competition on 26-28 May.

“We’re anticipating an unprecedented number of clubs from all over the world,” Devinney said, noting that regional tournaments involving gay-friendly teams have grown all over the world, as teams gear up for the biennial Mark Kendall Bingham Cup competition.

“The Inter-Club Challenge in the UK, FogFest in San Francisco, Magnitude 15.0 in Seattle, New York’s East Coast Invitational, and now the Union Cup 7s tournament in Europe all demonstrate the appetite for rugby among gay people and their friends,” Devinney said. His host committee is planning to meet that appetite with clinics with guest coaches, a women’s division, and the elaborate parties that accompany the Bingham Cup. “New York considers itself the world’s second home, and we’re looking forward to hosting our IGRAB friends in May 2006,” added Gotham Knights president Adam Josephs.

Look for information about the Bingham Cup at www.binghamcup.com, soon to be updated with details about Bingham Cup 2006 in New York.