The Bingham Cup is an international rugby competition named in remembrance of Mark Kendall Bingham, one of the heroic victims of the September 11, 2001 terrorist action in the USA. Mark was a keen rugby player, playing for one of USA’s gay & bisexual rugby teams - San Francisco Fog RFC.
In 2002 a coordinating group of gay & bisexual rugby teams based around the globe got together to create IGRAB a body to promote rugby as an all-inclusive non-discriminatory sport which everyone can play, regardless of sexuality. The formation of this body led to the inauguration of a new international rugby competition which in a unanimous decision by all the members of IGRAB became known as the Bingham Cup.
The first Bingham Cup was held in 2002 and hosted by the San Francisco Fog, Mark Bingham’s home team. That year, eight teams travelled to California to compete over two days with the Fog coming out on top as the Cup’s first winners.
In 2004, the Bingham Cup was hosted by London’s Kings Cross Steelers. From eight teams just two years prior, twenty teams from four countries were fielded for the 2004 Bingham Cup which was won for the second time by the San Francisco Fog.
New York's Gotham Knights took up the host mantle in 2006 and along with the addition of a third day of match play the Knights presided over a new mid-tier competition (The Bowl) and an inaugural Women's competition. That year the Cup and Plate were won by the Sydney Convicts and The Bowl was won by the Boston Ironsides.
The 2008 Bingham Cup was hosted by Emerald Warriors Rugby Football Club, Dublin, Ireland. This tournament took place between Friday 13th - Sunday 15th June 2008. The Cup was won by Sydney Convicts, The plate was won by World Barbarians and the Bowl was won by Ulster Titans.
The hosts of the 5th Bingham Cup has been announced as Minneapolis Mayhem RFC. The tournament will take place 17-20th June 2010 and see nearly 1,200 gay rugby players from around the world compete against eachother for the tournament's top honour – the Bingham Cup.
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