For the love of Rugby. No matter who you love.
Founded in 2000 by a few small Inclusive Rugby Clubs, International Gay Rugby has grown rapidly in the rugby family and touches all four corners of the globe. The mission of International Gay Rugby is to provide opportunities for the LGBTQ+ community to compete in welcoming, inclusive rugby clubs that are primarily LGBTQ+/LGBTQ+friendly.
The Bingham Cup is a flagship IGR tournament that was first held in San Francisco in 2002, in memory of a 9/11 rugby hero, Mark Bingham, who was one of the passengers on United Flight 93 that fought back against hijackers. Today, the event has grown to be one of the world’s largest amateur rugby tournaments.
The Ben Cohen Standup Award for Team Sportsmanship, aka “The Spirit of the Game” Award, is named after Ben Cohen, a professional rugby player and ally for LGBTQ+. He is the founder of Standup Foundation dedicated to fighting homophobia and bullying. On June 18, 2013, Ben Cohen was named as one of the initial inductees to the National Gay and Lesbian Sports Hall of Fame.
Nashville Women’s Rugby Stone Lions is a 2022 recipient of The Ben Cohen Standup Award. Winning due to incredibly adverse circumstances, NWRFC is proud to have this award. Nashville Grizzlies Inclusive Rugby Club was the 2012 recipient, so we hold two very important pieces of rugby history here in Nashville.
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