2SLGBTQ+ rugby clubs from around the world to gather in August at Bingham Cup Ottawa 2022

(Ottawa, ON) – After having won the hosting rights in October 2018, the Ottawa Wolves Rugby Football Club was forced to wait two extra years to host one of the world’s biggest amateur rugby tournaments. However, the wait is finally over as the Ottawa Wolves are set to host Bingham Cup Ottawa 2022 from August 13 to August 21 in our nation’s capital.

The Bingham Cup, also known as the Mark Kendall Bingham Memorial Tournament, is the biennial world championships of gay and inclusive rugby.

“Having the Bingham Cup come to Ottawa is great news for our city and our local economy,” Ottawa Mayor Jim Watson, said in a press release posted on the Bingham Cup website in August of 2021. “After the global pandemic, this event will bring excitement, camaraderie and much needed economic benefits to Ottawa, while allowing our residents to enjoy world-class rugby here in the nation’s capital.”

Tournament activities begin on Saturday August 13 with the opening ceremonies taking place on Wednesday August 17. Games will conclude on Sunday August 21 before the closing ceremonies. Information regarding all tournament activities including the official tournament schedule can be found at binghamcup.com.

The hosts of the 2022 Bingham Cup, the Ottawa Wolves are one of five 2SLGBTQ+ inclusive rugby clubs in Canada. In 2018, the club participated in an extensive bidding process to win the right to host the Bingham Cup in Canada’s capital city that was originally supposed to be played in 2020.

The Wolves were founded in 2008 with the purpose to encourage participation in rugby among those who have traditionally been under-represented in the sport. Players on the team are mostly part of the 2SLGBTQ community but the team welcomes everyone to play. In 2009, the club fielded a men’s side in the second division of the Eastern Ontario Rugby Union for the first time. That same year the Wolves also became a member of the International Gay Rugby, an organization designed to eliminate discrimination of sexual orientations or identification in the sport by providing members of the 2SLGBTQ+ community a chance to play rugby in an inclusive rugby club.

“Hosting the Bingham Cup reinforces that Canada is an open, inclusive, and welcoming country,” said Jean-François Laberge, past Captain of the Ottawa Wolves RFC, President of the Bingham Cup Ottawa 2020 Bid and Organizing Committee and current President of the Bingham Cup Ottawa 2022 Organizing Committee. “With everything that has happened since 2018 – I know that the International Gay Rugby family needs this tournament more than ever. That’s why we’re committed to deliver a unique tournament experience – and to make as affordable as possible – so everyone can come. We want all tournament participants and the Canadian public to get the chance to gather safely in Ottawa and celebrate the inclusive rugby movement. We can’t wait to see everyone – showcase our values and what we stand for – as well as everything that we are and will continue to be!”

The tournament will welcome more than 83 clubs, 148 clubs from 20 different countries around the world. Four other 2SLGBTQ+ teams from Canada, the Vancouver Rogues, Toronto Muddy York, Rainbow Griffins and Montreal Armada will also be in attendance.

For more information on the history of the Bingham Cup and all the latest news, visit www.binghamcup.com