Double Bingham win for Convicts

It’s been a resounding victory for the Sydney Convicts Rugby Club at the Bingham Cup in Manchester, England over the weekend, with the club winning both the Cup and the Bowl.

The Convicts A team won the Bingham Cup with a resounding 22-5 victory over their friends and rivals the San Francisco Fog, while the Convicts B defeated Dallas Diablos 11-3 to win the Mark Bingham Bowl for the second time running.

“The Convicts are extremely proud of our achievements at the Bingham Cup but also proud of the entire gay rugby community,” Convicts spokesman Erik Denison told the Star Observer.

“This was the largest Bingham Cup ever and it is now absolutely without a doubt the largest rugby tournament, full stop, in the world.

“The boys played with courage and the spirit of sportsmanship that is at the core of who we are as a team. For many of the players, this was their first international tournament and many are also new to rugby and the Sydney Convicts.

“The entire team pulled together, veterans and new players, on and off the field. There was also an incredible group of supporters including coaches, team managers, doctors, physios, trainers, medics and partners who came to support both teams — the Cup and the Bowl could not have been won without them.”

This was also the first international tournament for the Melbourne Chargers, who had a great semi-final match against the San Francisco Fog’s B team and won 8-0, bringing them to the final.
Unfortunately they lost (12-0) in the Grand Final to a very tough team, the Kings Cross Steelers from London.

“The players on all three Australian teams did a phenomenal job at the Bingham Cup and the teams played their best to represent not only our community but also our country,” Denison said.

There were more than 1000 rugby players at this Bingham Cup, making it the largest-ever Bingham and the largest rugby tournament in the world in 2012. The first out rugby international player, Gareth Thomas, attended the tournament, along with former English player and anti-bullying and anti-homophobia campaigner Ben Cohen.

“We’d like to thank all our supporters for their encouragement on Facebook, Twitter and via text,” Convicts president David Whittaker said.

“We are all very proud to be here representing rugby in New South Wales and Australia and we wouldn’t be here without their support.”