The oddsmakers hit the nail on the head as the favored Sydney Convicts won the Bingham Cup rugby championship with a decisive run through the tournament.
The Convicts beat the Kings Cross Steelers of London, 18-3, in the finale of the event in Dublin, Ireland. They ended the tournament unbeaten at 6-0 and outscored their opponents a combined, 213-18, and did not allow a point in their three pool-play games. Irish bookmaker Paddy Power had made the Convicts the favorites to win the Cup, the most elite of the four titles awarded at the tournament.
“The boys played quick running rugby all week, and went through to the final undefeated,” coach Bronnie Mackintosh said. “They trained hard for this tournament and their camaraderie supported them through with a win.”
The win was the second straight Bingham Cup title for the Convicts, who also took the 2006 event. The event began in 2002 as a tribute to rugby player Mark Bingham, killed in the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks in the U.S.
The Gotham Knights RFC, New York City’s predominately gay rugby team, earned bragging rights as the top gay rugby team in North America after their finish in the Cup Division. After a semifinal loss to the Convicts, the Knights beat the San Francisco Fog’s A-side in a consolation final, placing third overall in the tournament.
In other divisions:
Bingham Plate: World Barbarians 22, Sydney Convicts II 0
Bingham Bowl: Atlanta Bucks 12, Kings Cross Steelers II 5
Bingham Shield: Ulster Titans 29, Muddy York (Toronto) 5.
Sydney Convicts photo gallery here. Photo of a streaker at the Bingham Cup here. –Jim Buzinski
on Jun 20th, 2008 at 8:27 AM
Technically, that guy pictured isn’t a streaker – if I recall, he is doing his ‘zulu’ for scoring his first ‘try’ with the team he was playing for. There were a couple of streakers later in the closing ceremonies who were chased from the pitch. I suppose the only difference is that anyone can streak, but a zulu is earned.
on Jun 20th, 2008 at 1:57 PM
Congrats to Sydney and all the division winners. Personally, I had a week from hell, but that’s not Dublin’s fault.
on Jul 8th, 2008 at 10:22 AM
Guys, this was (once again) a great tournament.
If you get a chance to make it to the next one you should do anything you can to be there.
BTW – I may have been part of the cause of some of the streaking. Yes, there will have been zulus run, but I also offered a jug of beer to the team who gave the most impressive streak of the final day. The winners were The Manchester Village Spartans (mostly for the comedy value of them getting chased off the pitch by security) who I still owe that beer to – we’ll see them in Cardiff in a month or two so I’m sure I can remedy that there.
on Jul 8th, 2008 at 6:53 PM
who was the big number 13 who played for the barbarians, omg what fantastic body AND then he sang later WHO IS HE?????