The LGBTQ+ rugby tournament known as the Mark Kendall Bingham Memorial Tournamentor the Bingham Cupis taking place in Ottawa, Canada, through Sunday, Aug. 21.
According to a press release, "The Bingham Cup is the largest amateur rugby union tournament in the world and the only rugby tournament to directly tackle harmful discrimination in sports and negative stereotypes about 2SLGBTQ+ people."
There is also a women's competition within the tournament called the Amanda Cup, named after Mark Bingham's lifelong friend.
The 2020 edition of the Bingham Cup, originally scheduled to take place in August 2020, was postponed due to the COVID-19 global pandemic. The 2018 tournament took place in Amsterdam; some other host cities have included Nashville, San Francisco, London and Sydney.
Players have begun arriving, with the rugby starting Thursday, Aug. 18, with most games, including the Grand Final (on Aug 21) played at the Ottawa Wolves' Hornet's Nest sport complex.
Almost 150 teams from 20 countries will compete.
The tournament was first held in 2002 in memory of 9/11 gay rugby hero Mark Bingham, one of the passengers who fought back against hijackers on board United flight 93. While Bingham and all on the flight tragically lost their lives when the plane crashed near Shanksville, Pennsylvania, it is widely recognized that through the actions of those brave individuals on board, the plane did not continue on to its intended target.
As a gay man and regular rugby player, Bingham played for San Francisco Fog as well as helped set up Gotham Knights in New York City.
See www.binghamcup.com .