Convicts off to Minneapolis

The mid-west American city of Minneapolis has been named host city for the 2010 Bingham World Cup, at which local boys, the Sydney Convicts, will work to hold on to the shield.

The Convicts may have taken home the glory at consecutive tournaments, but competition is sure to be tough next year as rival teams do their best to oust the two-time winners of the gay rugby world cup.

Named in honour of Mark Bingham -” a gay man who played rugby for gay team San Francisco Fog and was killed on United Airlines Flight 93 during the September 11 attacks -” the biennial competition attracts thousands of participants and spectators from around the globe to take part in four days of competition.

Scheduled for June 2010, the Convicts have just over a year to make sure that they are in top form before heading north.

We congratulate the Minneapolis Mayhem on their winning bid and wish them every success in hosting what is anticipated to be the largest Bingham Cup yet, Convicts president Charlie Winn said.

The Convicts again look forward to defending our consecutive world cup title over in the States next June.

Winn said the Convicts would soon be launching the new season with a BBQ Open Day.

Prospective new players and longtime players alike were invited to attend the day, scheduled for Sunday, 22 February at the Convicts’ Rose Bay clubhouse.

A light training session will be topped off with some beers and a barbecue feast, offering a perfect opportunity to get to know some of the other team members.

With plans to put at least two, and possibly three teams through to the Bingham Cup, there couldn’t be a more opportune time to get in touch with the Convicts.

info: For more on the Convicts go to www.sydneyconvicts.org. For more information on the Bingham Cup go to www.binghamcup.com