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Posted January 26th, 2009

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:

Contact:  Blair Demster, 412-818-7987

Director of Marketing and Public Relations

Minneapolis Mayhem Rugby Football Club

THE MINNEAPOLIS MAYHEM RFC TO HOST THE BINGHAM CUP 2010

Minneapolis - The 21st of January, 2009:

The International Gay Rugby Association and Board (IGRAB) awarded the Minneapolis Mayhem Rugby Football Club the honor of hosting Bingham Cup 2010. Hosting rights for the tournament were determined by a vote held among IGRAB member clubs.  The Minneapolis bid effort was led by Mayhem RFC player Matty Strickler.  "On behalf of the Minneapolis Mayhem," Strickler said, "I am deeply honored that we have been chosen to host the Bingham Cup 2010.  We look forward to hosting the IGRAB community and are very grateful to have this opportunity to pay tribute to Mark Bingham.  With the support of the incredible GLBT and rugby communities in Minnesota we are confident that we will host an event that honors his memory and showcases the tenacity, determination and skill of IGRAB players and teams."

The Mark Bingham Memorial Tournament, or Bingham Cup, is a biannual international, gay rugby union tournament.  The tournament will be held from the 17th thru the 20th of June, 2010, at the National Sports Center in Blaine, Minnesota.  The Mayhem RFC will welcome over 1,000 gay rugby players from around the world to Minneapolis to compete for the tournament's top honor, the Bingham Cup.  The weekend's events include an opening celebration, tournament play, closing ceremonies and four days full of rugby tradition.  "The Minneapolis Mayhem has put forth an outstanding proposal that focuses on providing a world class rugby experience for the players who will be travelling from across the world" added IGRAB Chairman Alex Fallis.  "We're very excited about travelling to Minnesota for the 2010 world championship."

The Bingham Cup, commonly referred to as the Gay Rugby World Cup, is named for Mark Bingham, one of the heroes of Flight 93 on the 11th of September, 2001.  The tournament was dedicated in his honor by San Francisco Fog RFC, which was the first club to host the tournament.  Bingham was a founding member of Fog RFC.  Bingham Cup has subsequently been hosted by London King's Cross Steelers (2004), New York Gotham Knights (2006), and Dublin Emerald Warriors (2008).

ABOUT THE MAYHEM RFC

The Minneapolis Mayhem Rugby Football Club is one of the nation's few male rugby clubs that makes the sport accessible to traditionally underrepresented groups, including members of the gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender (GLBT) community.  Since our formation in 2005, the Mayhem have been fortunate enough to play against teams from Minnesota, across the country, and around the world.  Mayhem RFC is a member of the Minnesota Rugby Football Union (MinnRFU), the Midwest Rugby Union, USA Rugby, and International Gay Rugby Association and Board (IGRAB).  They train and play regularly in Minneapolis.