On September 11, 2001, a horrific tragedy occurred on American soil. One of the heroes of that horrific day was an American rugby player named Mark Bingham. His actions on Flight 93 helped save countless lives, and his heroism is commemorated in the namesake of International Gay Rugbyโs (IGR) world championship and trophy. The Bingham Cup is the second largest rugby event in the world and involves more than eighty-three clubs and 148 teams from across the planet.ย Mark Bingham was a gay rugby player, playing for the San Francisco Fog and helping establish the New York City Gotham Knights, and the Bingham Cup is held in honor of his memory. The tournament provides a place for those who believe that sportsmanship and camaraderie are not restricted to traditional heteronormativity. Most anyone who has played for a west coast International Gay Rugby affiliated team owes some of that experience to Mark and his work evangelizing the sport of rugby.
Rugby is often advertised as the โtougher and simplerโ version of American Football, running for eighty minutes and ideally lacking the frequent stops and starts typical of gridiron football. While each of the fifteen players on the field have a position name and set of expected tasks, the best players in the world are expected not to be locks or centers or wings, but rugby players. There is no change over between offense and defense, only a change in who has the ball at any given moment. Rugby is a physically demanding sport, it asks you how much are you willing to put on the line, and it will ask you that multiple times over the course of a game. After reading that, you might ask โwhy would anyone subject themselves to this?โ Through rugby we gain a camaraderie that can only be forged on the pitch; the mental and physical challenge is second to none. Our celebration is the singing of bawdy songs till the voice is hoarse and the beer glass emptied. You will make lifelong friends that will still meet up long after the playing days are over to watch games, grab drinks and continue to share their lives. It provides an opportunity to spend Saturday playing your heart out while enjoying the eye-candy of athletic bodies, thick thighs, and short-shorts.
Rugby is unfortunately not very friendly to new viewers. With a plethora of British derived terms and titles, to first observe a rugby game is not unlike attempting to apply Sports Center analysis to a bar fight. Paradoxically running forward whilst passing backwards, large athletes in small clothes being alley-ooped along the edge of a field, and this โscrummagingโ business of linking up and performing the most violent group hug ever seen. Where could a potential fan turn in order to make sense of this barely-contained chaos and perhaps put on a jersey?
The San Diego Armada, America’s Finest City’s inclusive Rugby club.
Our team and our sport have long stood by a governing tenet: that there is a place for everyone on the field. Skin color, size, gender identification, religious or national background, all are welcome to be a part of a family which believes anyone can be strong with the support of their teammates. Welcoming all peoples, Armada has proudly been a part of the Bingham Cup tournament since our inception and has ranked within the top five teams worldwide in back-to-back appearances.
Our team has also used their love of the sport and its misshapen balls as a means of empowerment to the LGBTQIA+ communities in Americaโs finest city. The Armada has always worked with the San Diego LGBTQIA+ community and has helped raise thousands of fundraising dollars. We have marched alongside our friends, family and compatriots in joyous celebration during the San Diego Pride march, helped dole out Christmas trees to gracious donors, and stood (in heels) with our dear friends in the San Diego Imperial Court. We have consistently worked to help keep our neighborhood in Ocean Beach clean. One can still find our name at the base of the Hillcrest Pride Flag. While we have accomplished much within our community, we strive to increase our outreach and output, to help make our community greater and a more welcoming space, and we hope to inspire others to join us in this journey.
As an organization, we are always looking for new players and new fans. If you have read this and our sport and club sounds like the place for you, or you would just like to learn more about the great sport of rugby, we can be found on Facebook (@SanDiegoArmada), Instagram (@Sandiegoarmadarfc), or making a ruckus at Robb Field in Ocean Beach, Mondays and Wednesdays from 7:30-9:30pm. Give us and our amazing sport a chance, you will always have a spot at the bar and family to lean on. See you on the pitch!
And as they say on the rugby pitch,
โWith You.โ
