Gay Rugby Team Sydney Convicts Wins 2023 Purchas Cup
Image: Image: Sydney Convicts
With an emphatic 38-6 win, this year’s Purchas Cup has gone to the Sydney Convicts. The first time the competition has been held since 2019, the Convicts managed to take home the prize for the second time in a row.
Held over two stages, the cup tier and shield tier allow queer-friendly and inclusive teams from across Australasia to compete. The Sydney Convicts did not manage to take out the Shield, with that honour going to the New Zealand Falcons. The results were as follows.
Cup Tier:
Convicts 1st XV (W) vs Brisbane Hustlers: 24-5
Melbourne Chargers (W) vs Brisbane Hustlers: 10-7
Melbourne Chargers vs Sydney Convicts 1st XV (W): 6-38
Shield Tier:
Perth Rams vs NZ Falcons (W): 0-19
Sydney Convicts 2nd XV vs Adelaide University Sharks (W): 0-24
Perth Rams (W) vs Sydney Convicts 2nd XV: 29-12
Adelaide University Sharks vs NZ Falcons(W): 5-14
NZ Falcons(W) vs Sydney Convicts 2nd XV: 30-19
In a confident display from the Sydney Convicts, they won both their finals games with ease, 24-5 against the Brisbane Hustlers and against the Melbourne Chargers 6-38.
Perth Hosts Gay Rugby Competition
Held this year by the Perth Rams, the cup invites teams both internationally and locally to compete as a way to create an inclusive, LGBTQI environment, often a scarcity in amateur sports. The cup is named in honour of Andrew Purchas, a vocal and proud advocate for LGBTQI inclusion in sports as well as combatting homophobia.
This cup is also taking place during the Rugby World Cup being held in France. The tournament organisers have made concerted efforts to include and provide visibility to LGBTQI players and fans. This includes, as Star Observer reported, acknowledging the contribution of Cyril Leroy, the founder of France’s first gay-inclusive Rugby team.
The Purchas Cup is held every year, and you can follow it as well as other queer-friendly events they hold on their Instagram, here’s hoping next year’s cup is as a resounding success as this year’s.
You can also catch the event’s live stream on their Facebook here.
