The Mark Kendall Bingham Memorial Tournament, more widely known as the Bingham Cup, stands as the biennial world championship for gay and inclusive rugby union. First held in 2002, this international, non-professional tournament brings together hundreds of teams from around the globe in a celebration of sport, diversity, and fellowship. While the competition on the field is fierce, the event's core purpose extends far beyond the final whistle. It was founded to promote equality, challenge stereotypes, and create a safe and welcoming environment for members of the LGBTQ+ community and their allies to participate in the sport of rugby, fostering a global community bound by shared values of inclusivity and respect.

The tournament is named in honor of Mark Kendall Bingham, a 31-year-old gay man, passionate rugby player, and American hero. Bingham, who played for the San Francisco Fog and helped found the Gotham Knights in New York City, was a passenger on United Airlines Flight 93 on September 11, 2001. He was one of the brave passengers who formed a plan and fought back against the hijackers, leading the plane to crash in a field in Pennsylvania rather than reaching its intended target. Bingham's courageous actions, along with his identity as an openly gay athlete, directly challenged limiting stereotypes and exemplified the values of bravery and teamwork inherent to rugby.

The Bingham Cup was established by International Gay Rugby (IGR), the global organization for inclusive rugby clubs, as a way to commemorate Mark Bingham's life and legacy. The inaugural tournament took place in San Francisco in 2002, and it has been held every two years since in various host cities across the world, including London, New York, Sydney, Amsterdam, and Rome. The selection of the host city is a competitive bidding process managed by IGR, with each new location bringing its own local culture to the event while upholding the tournament's foundational mission of promoting diversity in sport.

From its modest beginnings, the Bingham Cup has grown into one of the largest amateur rugby union tournaments in the world. The event regularly attracts thousands of participants, with recent tournaments featuring over 100 teams from more than 20 countries, spanning five continents. The competition is structured into multiple tiers and divisions to accommodate teams of varying skill levels, ensuring meaningful play for all. In addition to the main men's tournament, the event also includes a dedicated women's division, the Amanda Mark Cup, reflecting its commitment to inclusion for all players.

The impact and legacy of the Bingham Cup are profound. On a personal level, it provides a crucial "safe space" for athletes to be their authentic selves without fear of prejudice. On a broader scale, the tournament is a powerful vehicle for activism, actively working to eliminate homophobia and transphobia in sports. By creating visibility and celebrating LGBTQ+ athletes, the Bingham Cup sends a strong message to the wider sporting world that inclusion is possible and necessary. Its ultimate goal is to one day make itself obsolete—to foster a world where an athlete's sexual orientation or gender identity is irrelevant, and the sport is truly for everyone.