Sport

Sydney Convicts and Sydney to Host Bingham Cup 2014

Category: Sport Created on Thursday, 11 October 2012 00:45 Written by Robert Manser

Sydney's iconic gay rugby club, the Sydney Convicts, will play host to the Bingham Cup in 2014.

The elite sports group has won the titles internationally several times, with the community supporting the various teams over the years, from matches to fundraisers.

After having their official bid for hosting rights endorsed by the likes of Prime Minister Julia Gillard and rugby greats John Eales and Nick Farr-Jones, the Convicts were considered to be frontrunners to host the biennial tournament which they won earlier this year when it was held in Manchester, England. “It gives me great pleasure to support the Sydney Convicts’ bid to host the seventh Bingham Cup rugby tournament in Sydney in 2014,” Gillard says in the video. “Australia is a sports-loving nation which also has an abiding commitment to diversity and mutual respect. The vibrant city of Sydney is the perfect location for the Bingham Cup. And the Sydney Convicts, Australia’s first gay rugby union club, are the perfect hosts. “In recent years, Sydney has hosted the Olympics, and gay games and the Rugby World Cup with a remarkable spirit of openness and celebration. I know that Bingham Cup participants would receive the same warm and generous welcome.”

The Convicts have, for teh past few tournaments tried to secure it for Sydney, with a close call on the last one - which went to Machester. It looks like winning the cup in Manchester itself helpped boost the campaign to host the tournament in the Emerald City.

This time around the Convicts bid had also received support from the likes of NSW Governor Marie Bashir, Lord Mayor Clover Moore, Olympic gold medallist Matthew Mitcham as well as rugby legends John Eales, Phil Kearns, Brendan Cannon, Mark Ella, Nick Farr-Jones and Peter Fitzsimons. The Wallabies and captain David Pocock, a big supporter of marriage equality, were also behind the bid.

Of course, in true Convicts style, there will be an international announcement tomorrow in London, so we will update you with more details as they come to hand.

Congratulations boys!