Purchas and Bingham Cup – The World Championships of Gay and Inclusive Rugby

I am embarrassed to say that I only learned of these two rugby championships on this very day…

The Purchas Cup started Friday, 12 September, in Tāmaki Makaurau / Auckland, hosted by the NZ Falcons. The opening game was between the Sydney Convicts and the Perth Rams at the Western Springs Stadium.

The Springboks v All Blacks game clashes with the 9:00 am start on Saturday when the Sydney Convicts meet Adelaide University Sharks.

Six teams are contesting the Purchas Cup: Falcons, Convicts, Perth Rams, Brisbane Hustlers, Adelaide University Sharks, and the Melbourne Chargers.

Named after Andrew Purchas, a proud advocate for LGBTQ inclusion in sports, the Purchas Cup is held every other year outside the Bingham Cup.

The Australasian tournament hosts the five gay and inclusive clubs in Australia and invites international teams within the region.

The Australian Gay and Inclusive clubs rotate hosting rights with the 2025 tournament to be hosted in Auckland.

The 2023 tournament was hosted by the Perth Rams, and boasted 7 teams across a two tiers, with the Sydney Convicts winning the Cup and NZ Falcons taking away the Shield.

The Bingham Cup is the biennial world championships of gay and inclusive rugby.

The tournament was created to celebrate the memory of Mark Bingham, one of the brave passengers on United Flight 93 who fought back against hijackers during the 9/11 terrorist attacks.

A gay man and rugby player, Mark was a leading figure within the gay rugby community in the USA.

Mark left a legacy for rugby communities to come together to challenge stereotypes and perceptions of the LGBTQ community and to celebrate equality, inclusivity and sportsmanship.

The Bingham cup is administered by International Gay Rugby (IGR). Hosting duties are awarded through a bidding process amongst the members of IGR. Australia last hosted the Bingham Cup in Sydney, 2014.

Brisbane will be hosting the next tournament in 2026.

The International Gay Rugby (IGR) is a worldwide network of over 100 inclusive rugby clubs spanning six continents.

The following clubs are affilliated to IGR:

UK & Ireland: Aberdeen Taexali RFC, Belfast Azlans, Berkshire Unicorns, Birmingham Bulls RFC, Brighton & Hove Serpents RFC, Bristol Bisons RFC, Caledonian Thebans RFC, Cardiff Lions RFC, Chester Centurions, Clapham Feelers, Colchester Kings, Conwy Dragons RFC, Cork Hellhounds, Coventry Corsairs, Dunfermline Knights, Emerald Warriors RFC, Glagow Raptors, Hull Roundheads, Iceni RFC, Inverness Picts, Kings Cross Steelers RFC, Leeds Hunters, Lincolnshire Lancers RFC, Liverpool Tritons RFC, London Old Streetonians, London Stags, Manchester Village Spartans RUFC, Mitcham & Carshalton RUFC, Newcastle Ravens RFC, Northampton Outlaws RFC, Nottinghamshire Hurricanes, Plymouth Dolphins, Reading Renegades RFC, Sheffield Vulcans, Swansea Vikings RFC, Transmanian Devils RFC, Typhoons RUFC, Wessex Wyverns, West Country Wasp RFC, Wrecsam Rhinos, York RI Templars

US, Canada, Central & South America: Armada Montreal, Atlanta Bucks RFC, Atlanta Harlequins Women’s Rugby, Baltimore Flamingos, Boston Ironsides RFC, Charleston Blockade RFC, Charleston Hurricanes Womens, Charlotte Royals RFC, Charm City Knights, Chicago Dragons RFC, Ciervos Pampas Rugby, Club de Rugby Flamencos Cancún, Colorado Rush RFC, Columbus Coyotes RFC, Columbus Kodiaks RFC, Crescent City Rougaroux, Dallas Diablos RFC, Dallas Lost Souls, Eno River Rugby Club, Fear the Maniacs, Gotham Knights RFC, Huarpes Rugby Club, Knoxville Women’s RFC, Los Angeles Rebellion Rugby, Madison Minotaurs RFC, Mexico Spicy Barbarians RFC, Milwaukee Beer Barons, Minneapolis Mayhem RFC, Nashville Grizzlies RFC, Nashville Women’s Rugby, New Orleans Halfmoons Women’s Rugby Club, Orlando Otters, Philadelphia Gryphons RFC, Phoenix Storm RFC, Portland Lumberjacks RFC, Round Rock Rage Rugby, Ruda Macho Rugby, San Diego Armada RFC, San Francisco Fog RFC, Seattle Quake RFC, Space City Rugby, Spicy Rugby Querétaro, St Louis Crusaders RFC, Titanes RC Chile, Toronto Muddy York RFC , Toronto Rainbow Griffins RFC, Union County Mudturtle Rugby, Vancouver Rogues, Village Lions Women FRC, Washington Renegades RFC, Washington Scandals

Continental Europe: Amsterdam Lowlanders RC, Athenian Centaurs, Berlin Bruisers, Brussels Straffe Ketten RFC, Cologne Crushers, Copenhagen Wolves RFC , Les Coqs Festifs Rugby Club, Les Gaillards Paris Rugby Club, Libera Rugby Club, Lisbon Dark Horses Rugby, Los Valents de Montpelhièr, Madrid Titanes, Munich Monks, Oslo Raballder, Rebelyons Rugby, Rugbi Pantere Grogues, Tou’Win Rugby, Vienna Eagles

Australasia, Mid East & Rest of the World: Adelaide University Sharks FUFC, Brisbane Hustlers RUFC, Melbourne Chargers RUFC, New Zealand Falcons, Osaka Rugby, Perth Rams RFC, Sydney Convicts RUFC, Tel Aviv Ibex, World Barbarians / Unaffiliated