Bingham Cup: A love letter to Brisbane and to inclusive rugby

A week ago, thousands of rugby players and supporters from fifty-one inclusive teams from around the world came together in Brisbane for the Bingham and Amanda Cup. Now that it has ended, Bingham Cup Brisbane president Jason Garrick reflects on all the hard work and volunteers who helped make the inclusive tournament a success.

“What I’m feeling more than anything is a sense of gratitude to the people who arrived, understood the mission, and participated accordingly,” Jason told QNews.

“I’m feeling a deep sense of gratitude to the international gay rugby community who trusted us in having this event. But also towards the rugby community of Brisbane who believed in this. That’s North Rugby Union, Ballymore Stadium, and Bulimba Rugby League Football Club.”

Bingham Cup Brisbane 2026
Photo by DEANation Photography

“Everyone was so kind to the bar staff and the volunteers who were helping out, and everyone was feeling and experiencing genuine joy to be there. That’s a very special thing to be able to deliver as a volunteer event coordinator and overseer of the Bingham Cup for Brisbane. That’s what I’m grateful for the most.”

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@qnews_auWe had an amazing time at the world inclusive Rugby tournament, the Bingham Cup in Brisbane.♬ original sound – QNews

Bingham Brisbane was a celebration

“People came to enjoy this tournament and be part of it because it’s a rugby tournament with a purpose,” Jason said. “And that purpose is to create an environment where everyone is safe and included. We celebrate people’s efforts on the field.”

“To see people get involved in the legends and trans matches and see how loud people were for the two exhibition matches, recognising the history of IGR (International gay rugby) and the players who’ve contributed to it, the members of communities that still work so hard for it- that’s a really special moment. Particularly in the current political and the current political and social climate.”

Jason told me that in 2019, after the Australian and New Zealand tournament, the Purchase Cup, we had a conversation about Brisbane hosting the Bingham Cup. The COVID pandemic hit, and in 2024, when Brisbane was unsuccessful with their Bingham bid, Jason was done with the idea.

“It took so much effort and time,” he said, “Plus I had some chronic injuries from rugby that were starting to cause some issues following the 2022 Bingham Cup in Ottawa. We gave it a shot, and that was that. But in the lead-up to Bingham in Rome, the then president of the Hustlers rang me and asked if I wanted to put a bid in again. I took a day to think about it and said let’s do it.”

Suddenly, Brisbane had won their bid. With just under two years to make Bingham Brisbane happen, the volunteer committee got to work.

What does it mean to create a safe tournament?

“We all had to fit in the concept of this tournament around our lives, so each of us took different approaches,” Jason shared. “Some worked different hours, some of us took long service leave; we all wanted to make sure we could deliver this tournament.”

“We were building an event from scratch, and none of the organising committee was event managers. But what we did have was a passion for what rugby is and means to people. Rugby, like any sport, is a community of folks that want people to do their best on the field. But the culture of rugby invests in the person off the field as well.”

“I know for myself and a large majority of my committee, there was a deep sense of responsibility when hosting this tournament fell on us. We had to deliver the goods because it is on the other side of the world. We had to deliver a tournament that felt good for everyone. Some people say you have to focus on sport first and the community second, but you can’t frame it like that. Both have to be equally important.”

“A lot of conversations for a coach about rugby are asking a player if they are safe to compete; it’s a contact sport. But the interesting juxtaposition about the gay and inclusive rugby movement is that we bring safety to it all. Are you safe to compete? Or to sit on the sidelines? Are you safe to referee or to volunteer or participate in the game?”

“That’s the beautiful thing about inclusive sport. It takes the concept of safety or competence on the field to being part of the community.

@qnews_auOttawa Wolves beat the Emerald Warriors 31/5, winning the Amanda Mark Cup. This is the second time they have won the Cup, the last time was 2022.

♬ original sound – QNews

Brisbane loves its sport

“For those who were lucky enough to be in Brisbane and experience the four days at the tournament, I think we achieved that,” Jason said.

“We had parents and families come and support their adult children playing rugby again. We had people just coming down to see what the fuss was all about, and then we had an army of volunteers who came to make it happen every day. That kind of commitment demonstrates that our community at large, including the allied community who want to support us, are there. And I think that’s what we can take as a huge moment.”

Part of the pride in the 2026 Bingham tournament also comes from the Brisbane Hustlers’ love of their home.

“We love rugby,” Jason shared “, but we also share a love of this city. We love where we’re from and are awfully proud to be Brisbane Hustlers. This city is where I fled to become safe. For a lot of people, Brisbane is a town that authentically shows up, and it’s just because we love being here. We love being around sport. It’s so ingrained in who we are as a city, and that’s demonstrated by the fact that we’re having the Olympics here.”

“Next year we’ve got the Rugby World Cup with, I think, 24 teams. We had 51. The fact that this community put on something that’s twice as big as the World Rugby Championships is mind-boggling. Some of my committee absolutely joined this because they wanted to do something really positive for the LGBTQIA+ community. A lot of our volunteers weren’t part of the community; they volunteered because they wanted us to have these really amazing moments.”

‘A love letter to the city and to rugby’

What started as a quick chat turned into a beautiful and powerful reflection of what inclusive sport means to Jason.

“I love rugby in a way that this tournament reminded me of all of the reasons why I hated retiring from the sport in 2023,” Jason said. Because oh my god, it’s the best.”

“This tournament was a group of people’s love letter to the city and to rugby, sharing how the game makes them feel. How rugby made them want to be more than what they were allowing themselves to be. That’s the beautiful thing about inclusive sport. It’s very much aligned with the principles of bringing our best selves to this game. Without sounding too cocky, I think we genuinely achieved that mission.”

“I just want to acknowledge that the Bingham Cup organising committee and the volunteers are such a special group of people. They worked their asses off for this. Everyone gave whatever they could, and every contribution is so heavily acknowledged by me as the president of the organising committee, but also by IGR.”

“Without the additional support of our sponsors, particularly the Queensland Government, to help this tournament, as well as the team at Hello Create, Norths Rugby Union Football Club and more.”

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An incredible weekend of inclusive rugby has come to a close with the Kings Cross Steelers winning the 2026 Bingham Cup.

♬ original sound – QNews

‘I’m so grateful’

“I don’t know what’s next for my team in terms of what their next adventure will be,” Jason said, “But all I know is that they’ve shown themselves, their peers, their community what they’re capable of.

“They were volunteers who created an event that, for many people, will be a moment of a lifetime. That’s a wonderful thing to be reflecting on. I’m just so immensely proud to call all of these people my friends.”

“As Australians, we sometimes struggle with the concept of being proud of what we’ve done. I’m immensely proud of my entire team, and I’m so grateful to all who chose to put their time, their energy, their annual leave and their long service leave to help make the event we did.”

At the end of the tournament, Leeds in North England was announced as the host city for the Bingham and Amanda Cup in 2028.