The Bingham Cup is coming to New York City this Memorial Day Weekend, and Outsports is proud to be a sponsor of the event.

You can check out their Web site here.

Are any Outsporters planning on going?

I am looking forward to going and playing with my team the Atlanta Bucks

Unfortunately I had to miss the last one, but I am there for this one.

I'll be there with my Washington Renegades, as will a few other Outsporters.

Washington Renegades home page

I'll be there - playing for the Renegades as well.
And look forward to seeing my former teammates on the Bucks...Big Mama - say hi to everyone for me.

[ January 14, 2006, 04:42 AM: Message edited by: d.c sports geek ]

Unfortunately, I'll be out of town that weekend. But, I know a ton of people will be there. They have been carefully planning this for two years. I'm sorry I'll miss it.

I will be there as part of my team, Muddy York out to Toronto

Anybody catch the Chicago Dragon's story on LOGO. It was a hoot for me, as I know many of the players.

Look forward to meeting you all - will be there with the Welsh team

Havn't heard alot of details - anyone able to fill me in?

Wondering about some of the basics... like whats the field like, and will there be contested scrums?

I hope they think to put in some port-a-potties. The last time I went it was bad. Then our team wanted to play a third game. Ugh.

i hope they have better facilities than that...

.....i mean the $200 per person has to be spent on something....

so whats this i hear about a VIP area - seems very 'un-rugby'

Am I right that it's to be held on Randall's Island? A couple of years ago there were no facilities at the site where the matches were held. You had to get in your car and drive a couple of miles to find a public.

i shall reserve judgement until i see the whole thing.

... perhaps IGRAB should look at developing some 'guidelines for service' for those wanting to host the event

Hey:
We will have somewhere there covering but if any players or fans take some pics, send them our way and we'll host a gallery.

you mean you didn't buy a cardiff fund raising calendar ahead of the event

I'd love to check out some of the Bingham Cup matches. Any NY-area Outsporters planning to go? How easy is it to get to Randall's Island. The Logo documentary on the Chicago Dragons was pretty good.

be careful Jerseyguy, they might put some boots on you and ask you to play....

I'll be out of town that weekend, but it looks like a lot of fun.

Looks like the event has received good media coverage, with an AP article picked up by various media (from MSNBC to the Calgary Sun).

Sydney Star Observer pic of the Sydney Convicts:

HI! I went to the Bingham Cup Saturday and today. It was a blast. Watching these guys play you could see true passion for the sport of Rugby. They would tear each other up on the field but were like true friends off of it when kicking back. I had the honor of meeting Mark Bingham's mother Alice. We emailed each other back and forth a few times so it was terrific meeting her. She told me one of Mark's "problems" about being gay was so many people had the negative stereotype image of a gay man. Well, if a person who has that stereotype image in their head walked in to the park today and saw these guys play Rugby I guarantee they would see gay men in a different light. Play big, live big guy! Take care.

Rick

Nice comments Rick! I hope you're having a great time. Wish I was there. Hope the Fog are kicking some ass.

I'm looking forward to a complete report!

Rick,

Its awesome you made it down this weekend and met up with Mark's mom. I know this meant a lot to you as your friendship has grown with Mark's mother over the last 6 months.

As we have discussed in the past, gay athletes battling those stereotypes in the athletic world is a daunting challenge. There is a fine line to balance and walk in seeking acceptance and overcoming preconceived notions without compromising or being apologetic for being gay.

With the heroism of Mark and seeing the actions of his mother rallying around issues close to his heart, its truly an inspiration for gays and lesbians who battle daily for our plight in seeking acceptance.

I went on Friday. DAMN, those guys hit hard! I wonder what the body count was for the weekend!

Outsports' Bingham Cup recap

Great to see the photos up... and a nice little article...

Wow - even a couple of me playing for the welsh team (look for the silver kooga scrum cap!)

Must say that i felt the comment on the pitches was dismissed a little lightly (i was in the game when the leg got broke - not a sound i want to hear again).

Apart from that, and few minor things that i put down to 'cultural' differences was a fun tourney, and i managed to get a great sun tan!

Looking forward to the next one already

Cheers

E

Given that nearly all the serious injuries occurred among teams who don't play regular league schedules, i think you can put them down to inexperience much more than field conditions.

That is a very rough analysis, our team has played a considerable amount of rugby, and contained a number of players with significant rugby experience...and still encountered a high injury toll.

...Coming from rugby mad countries (Wales, England, New Zealand) our team found the pitches in need of some serious TLC for them to be suitable for rugby.

Having been a mamber of the Welsh team that went to the competion, I have to say that I had a great time. There were things that could have been better, eg playing fields, information giving. But over all i meet lots of kool people and have new frends, I hope that who ever taks it on next time, will learn from the mistkes and build on the good things.

[ June 01, 2006, 11:33 AM: Message edited by: ANDRE ]

On behalf of all of New York City, allow me to apologize for Randalls Island. Given the size and wealth of our great city, it is simply embarrassing that we inflict this dump on visiting athletes. It's just insulting!

Met a number of out of town rugby players at my bar over the weekend. Really fun bunch of guys!

There is no need to say sorry, to the out of town player, all that need to be done is to learn from it. I just v excited to find out who gets it next, as if it Sidney then as a team we need to save up.

On a personnal level I would just like to say how prode i was of my team (Cardiff Loins).

Nice Freudian, though from seeing you guys on stage Sunday night, maybe appropriate . . . :-D

[ June 01, 2006, 02:33 PM: Message edited by: msully ]

Hey guys,

As the tournament director, a big thanks from me to all of you who came out an dplayed your hearts out even given the deplorable conditions the city let us play under. If you only knew the months and months of conversations we had and the research we put in to finding the best venues possible and to repeatedly be told by the NYC Parks Department and RISF that we would have to play on those disgusting fields. For that, I totally apologize. We worked every political connection we could to get assistance to move to another venue and we were shut down left and right. So, for that, I truly apologize. As George Twins Fan pointed out, it's truly deplorable what the City of New York is trying to pass off as playing space and that they could not be more accomodating for such an important event.

On a side note, the Knights have adopted the two injured players who have been left behind and are taking care of them as if they were a member of our own team much like we did in 2003 when a member of the Renegades was injured during our East Coast Rugby Invitational.

Ciaran from the Emerald Warriors (Dublin) had his hip surgery yesterday and is recovering from that (the first day after is always bad) as we speak. He should be out of the hospital within a week or so and ready to return to Ireland within a month or so. I spoke with him today and have assured him that whatever he needs, the Knights are there to provide until he can head back home.

Ben (who is a local player and played for Cardiff during the tournament) is doing very well following the insertion of the titanium rod into his leg. On the good side, the doctors have assured him tha the will be able to return to the field by September but he will probably have some recovery/physical therapy time ahead of him to deal with muscles that have started to atrophy while he recuperating and will back to full strength for the Spring 2007 season. On the bad side, he will always be setting off metal detectors at the airport for the rest of his life.

I've heard a lot of great compliments about how much fun people had at the event (fields nonwithstanding...oh and the morons working the door at the opening night party...grrr) and that's the most gratifying part of all. To any club considering hosting in 2008, drop me a line and I'll give you all the details oh what to expect, most fun, most painful, etc.

Hi guys

Have to say sorry to my boys in my team, you all know what I ment to say,

Good to hear the injured boys are getting looked after, I had to take 3 days off work with AC joint haven come out while in new york.

Hi all:

No apologies are needed from the Gotham Knights who did a great job of hosting the competition. Not too many amateur athletes get to participate in a 27 or 28-team-strong international tournament in their lives, much less experience the cameraderie one only finds in rugby. I'm very fortunate to have had the chance to do it with my team, the Chicago Dragons. Injuries schminjeries!

It was our first time at the tournament and we were totally psyched coming in as well as going out.

Even the hissy-fit interrupted Cup Final was tons of fun. The streakers made it so much more so! Remember, "it's a small world after all..."

With you!

Bhuttu Mathews
Chicago Dragons RFC

The Cardiff boys had one my favorite hotties of the tournament. Big muscle guy, shirtless most of the time, injured his leg, I think, led singing at the closing party. Damn, he was hot. Who's he?

I don't remember his name, but I know exactly who you're talking about. Me and a teammate of mine had a ten minute conversation with him as he changed t-shirts twice.


. . . . . . we have absolutely no idea what the said.

well... his name was Tom....he hurt his knee in the first match against the Washington team, which progressively got worse.

... and cross my palm with silver.. and am sure I could pass on his phone number and email address *grin*

Nice to see that our Team Pip is working hard for us. !!!!!

I think his leg is now recovering well, and he should be back in the game shortly.

Short video of me scoring my first ever try. And no, no zulu.

This is what D.C. Sports Geek called, "The gayest thing I've even seen," although I'm not seeing it.

Looks perfectly butch to me...lol. Perhaps the camera angle did not quite catch my fabulous hop into the try zone. And others say that my throwing my hands in the air is less a "V for Victory" than "landing and sticking a double-layout with a double twist at the Olympic Games."

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_I4IEk_7E7s

[ June 09, 2006, 02:42 PM: Message edited by: dupontred ]

Good video, dupontred.

dupont red....your hop to score the try looked great!

I've been reading the boards on the cup. You're all so great. I know through mark Bingham's Mom Alice that she was impressed by each and every person there. They made the best of the Randall's Island but it was the people that made this event something to be proud of. Gotham Knights kicked ass in hosting this event. For a sport where people tear each other up to win there is such a loyalty to each player and each team by other teams that is something unique and something other sports could learn from. You made me a fan guys.

Dupont - just blame playing to much 'Frogger' as a kid!

Great try.

And yes - it was the people at the event, led by Alice (i still remember her during THAT game Alice running on with water, and then there when Ben was carted off)

Cheers to all my new found friends

can I say thank you to all thoses suporters who were so great to all us players and tryers.

Thank you

can I say thank you to all thoses suporters who were so great to all us players and tryers.

Thank you

Thank YOU Andrea for getting out there on the field and standing proud!!

I second the enthusiasm that was shown out there. I play for toronto's team. We had a great time there, even though we weren't exactly the best team out there.

The fields werent the greatest, but the Knoghts made up for it with their handling of the rest of the tourney.

I scored my very first try, after years of playing rugby, and yes I did a zulu warrior.

We are in the process of deciding our bid for the Bingham. Hopefully we can build on New York's success.