Bingham Cup, Brisbane 2026
Six matches, six wins, and the club's first Bingham Cup silverware at the twelfth attempt. Norths Brisbane Rugby Club, 20 to 23 August 2026.
The season that ended in Brisbane, at the Bingham Cup, after nearly two years of fundraising to get there.
The First XV finished eighth in Division 5 East, five of its defeats by seven points or fewer. The Second XV won IGR UK North 2, beaten once in eight. In August the club won all six of its matches in Australia, taking the Hoagland Bowl final 28–7 against the Appalachian Thunderkatz.
2025–26 began a division lower and ended on the other side of the world.
The First XV played in NOWIRUL The Last Drop Division 5 East and opened in September with its two biggest home wins of the league season, 59–7 against Crewe & Nantwich 3rd XV and 36–22 against Sale FC Norsemen. A 33–33 draw away at Stockport 4th XV followed, then a 45–10 win at Heaton Moor in October and 36–7 over Carrington in November.
From December the results turned, and turned narrowly. Leek 3rds won 32–31 in Manchester in December and Stockport took the return 34–29 in January. Littleborough won 34–27 and Carrington 35–31. In April Leek won the second meeting 48–47. Five defeats by seven points or fewer left the side with five losing bonus points, as many as any club in the division. There were heavier afternoons as well: 53–0 at home to Marple 2nd XV, who won the league, and 68–19 at Oldham in October.
The last two Saturdays of April brought the final wins of the year, 59–26 at home to Broughton Park 3rd XV and 24–21 away at Crewe & Nantwich. The First XV finished eighth of twelve, with seven wins, a draw and fourteen defeats from twenty-two, 619 points scored and 681 conceded.
The Second XV won IGR UK North 2. It played eight and won seven. Coventry Corsairs were beaten 52–15 away and 57–26 at home, and Newcastle Ravens 63–20 at home and 59–21 away. Birmingham Bulls lost 62–19 at home and 91–12 away, and Liverpool Tritons 46–24 in Liverpool in November. The one defeat was the return against Tritons at home on 28 February, 29–24. The side ended the season with 454 points scored and 166 conceded, six clear at the top of the table.
The tour to Brisbane was, by the club’s own account, almost two years in the making, and it was paid for by the largest fundraising effort in the club’s history, run deliberately so that cost would keep as few players at home as possible. The squad took to the stage in drag at The Church on Canal Street for a sold-out Easter Bash. One player sailed round the Greek islands for sponsorship; two others rode a tandem from Manchester’s Gay Village to Brighton. Members marshalled at marathons and 10K races across the city.
A touring party of twenty-five players, with coaches, medical staff and volunteers, left for Australia on 12 August, and the tournament ran from 20 to 23 August at Norths Brisbane Rugby Club. The Spartans have played at every Bingham Cup since the first, in San Francisco in 2002, and hosted the sixth themselves in Manchester in 2012.
With a large number of the squad making their tournament debuts, Manchester were placed in the Challenger tier, and won the pool: 54–0 against Melbourne Chargers Purple, 31–0 against San Francisco Fog 3 and 41–5 against Dallas Lost Souls. Topping the pool took them up into the Hoagland tier for the knockout rounds, where Melbourne Chargers Red were beaten 22–5 in the quarter-final and San Francisco Fog 2 12–5 in the Bowl semi-final.
The Bowl final, on the Sunday morning, was against the Appalachian Thunderkatz, a combined side of Charlotte Royals and Nashville Grizzlies players competing under the Royals crest. Charlotte’s first Bingham Cup had been the one the Spartans hosted in Manchester in 2012. Fourteen years later Manchester won the final 28–7, and finished the tournament with six wins from six, 188 points scored and 22 conceded.
It was the club’s first silverware in twelve Bingham Cups, and it came after three previous finals: the Bingham Cup final in London in 2004, the Bingham Plate in Manchester in 2012 and the Hoagland Plate in Rome in 2024. The Rugby Football Union wrote to the club on 24th August. Its President, Sir Bill Beaumont, called the win over the Thunderkatz a landmark moment in the club’s history, recorded that this was the first time the Spartans had come home from the tournament with a trophy, and set the result alongside the three English clubs that took honours in Brisbane.
The road to the Hoagland Bowl
Melbourne Chargers Purple0
Manchester Village Spartans54Manchester Village Spartans31
San Francisco Fog 30Manchester Village Spartans41
Dallas Lost Souls5
Sydney Convicts 220
Boston Ironsides7
Bristol Bisons17
Washington Scandals RFC12
Baltimore Flamingos14
San Diego Armada0
Chicago Dragons Red24
Columbus Coyotes RFC5San Francisco Fog 217
Brisbane Hustlers 20Melbourne Chargers Red5Manchester Village Spartans22
Appalachian Thunderkatz29
Seattle Quake 25
Amsterdam Lowlanders14Sydney Convicts 210Bristol Bisons14Baltimore Flamingos7Chicago Dragons Red26Boston Ironsides14Washington Scandals RFC24San Diego Armada0Columbus Coyotes RFC22San Francisco Fog 25Manchester Village Spartans12Appalachian Thunderkatz31Brisbane Hustlers 229Melbourne Chargers Red0Seattle Quake 20Amsterdam Lowlanders29Bristol Bisons31Chicago Dragons Red26Washington Scandals RFC5Columbus Coyotes RFC28Manchester Village Spartans28Appalachian Thunderkatz7Brisbane Hustlers 214Amsterdam Lowlanders24
Among the tourists was Matt Whiteley, who has been with the Spartans since the club’s first year and has played at every Bingham Cup since the inaugural tournament. A former club captain, chair and vice-chair, and one of the founding players of International Gay Rugby, then IGRAB, he took the field in Brisbane twenty-four years after San Francisco. Joe Vincent and Dylan Drein were among those making their tournament debuts; Drein had joined on moving to Manchester in early 2025 and had never played rugby union before.
Joshua Sanderson-Kirk, the Chair, said before the final: “Months ago, we decided that our squad would field both experienced and brand-new players and we would fundraise to allow as many players as possible to come – following our club motto of ‘Stronger Together’. So we’re really proud to have progressed through the tournament as one club.” On the draw, he added: “Charlotte Royals’ own Bingham Cup story began at the tournament we hosted in Manchester in 2012. Fourteen years later, we meet again in a final in Brisbane. It says a great deal about what Bingham creates: lasting connections between clubs, players and communities across the world.” He wrote at greater length about the tour afterwards, in Stronger Together: bringing home the Hoagland Bowl.
Manchester came home from Brisbane unbeaten in six. Behind that, the Second XV had won its division and the First XV had finished eighth in its own, five of its defeats by seven points or fewer. No Third XV fixtures are recorded for the year.
NOWIRUL The Last Drop Division 5 East
Finished 8th, played 22, won 7, drawn 1, lost 14. 21 matches on record, 20 of them with a score. A further 2 fixtures in the division were never arranged. Source: England Rugby competition system.
| # | TEAM | P | W | D | L | PF | PA | +/- | TB | LB | Pts |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Marple 2XV | 22 | 17 | 0 | 5 | 816 | 289 | 527 | 0 | 3 | 93 |
| 2 | Leek 3XV | 22 | 17 | 1 | 4 | 699 | 429 | 270 | 0 | 1 | 93 |
| 3 | East Manchester RUFC 2XV | 22 | 17 | 0 | 5 | 798 | 328 | 470 | 0 | 1 | 86 |
| 4 | Sale FC Norsemen | 22 | 13 | 2 | 7 | 672 | 358 | 314 | 0 | 0 | 75 |
| 5 | Littleborough 3XV | 22 | 11 | 1 | 10 | 448 | 703 | -255 | 0 | 1 | 66 |
| 6 | Crewe & Nantwich 3XV | 22 | 9 | 0 | 13 | 504 | 497 | 7 | 0 | 5 | 60 |
| 7 | Broughton Park 3XV | 22 | 9 | 1 | 12 | 489 | 756 | -267 | 0 | 0 | 60 |
| 8 | Spartans 1XV | 22 | 7 | 1 | 14 | 619 | 681 | -62 | 0 | 5 | 57 |
| 9 | Carrington | 22 | 9 | 1 | 12 | 538 | 738 | -200 | 0 | 0 | 56 |
| 10 | Oldham 2XV | 22 | 7 | 1 | 14 | 408 | 744 | -336 | 0 | 3 | 54 |
| 11 | Stockport 4XV | 22 | 6 | 1 | 15 | 467 | 720 | -253 | 0 | 1 | 48 |
| 12 | Heaton Moor RUFC 3XV | 22 | 5 | 1 | 16 | 435 | 650 | -215 | 0 | 2 | 44 |
| 13 | To be arranged 14 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Date | Home | Score | Away |
|---|---|---|---|
| Saturday, 06 Sep 2025 | Spartans 1XV | 59 – 7 | Crewe & Nantwich 3XV |
| Saturday, 20 Sep 2025 | Spartans 1XV | 36 – 22 | Sale FC Norsemen |
| Saturday, 27 Sep 2025 | Stockport 4XV | 33 – 33 | Spartans 1XV |
| Saturday, 04 Oct 2025 | Spartans 1XV | 20 – 39 | Littleborough 3XV |
| Saturday, 11 Oct 2025 | Oldham 2XV | 68 – 19 | Spartans 1XV |
| Saturday, 18 Oct 2025 | Heaton Moor RUFC 3XV | 10 – 45 | Spartans 1XV |
| Saturday, 25 Oct 2025 | Marple 2XV | 38 – 21 | Spartans 1XV |
| Saturday, 08 Nov 2025 | Spartans 1XV | 36 – 7 | Carrington |
| Saturday, 06 Dec 2025 | Spartans 1XV | 31 – 32 | Leek 3XV |
| Saturday, 13 Dec 2025 | Broughton Park 3XV | 29 – 19 | Spartans 1XV |
| Saturday, 20 Dec 2025 | Spartans 1XV | 19 – 41 | East Manchester RUFC 2XV |
| Saturday, 17 Jan 2026 | Spartans 1XV | 29 – 34 | Stockport 4XV |
| Saturday, 24 Jan 2026 | Littleborough 3XV | 34 – 27 | Spartans 1XV |
| Saturday, 31 Jan 2026 | Spartans 1XV | 25 – 45 | Oldham 2XV |
| Saturday, 21 Feb 2026 | Spartans 1XV | 0 – 53 | Marple 2XV |
| Saturday, 28 Feb 2026 | Carrington | 35 – 31 | Spartans 1XV |
| Wednesday, 01 Apr 2026 | Heaton Moor RUFC 3XV | No score recorded | Spartans 1XV |
| Saturday, 04 Apr 2026 | Sale FC Norsemen | 8 – 0 | Spartans 1XV |
| Saturday, 11 Apr 2026 | Leek 3XV | 48 – 47 | Spartans 1XV |
| Saturday, 18 Apr 2026 | Spartans 1XV | 59 – 26 | Broughton Park 3XV |
| Saturday, 25 Apr 2026 | Crewe & Nantwich 3XV | 21 – 24 | Spartans 1XV |
Bingham Cup, Brisbane 2026
6 matches on record. Source: the official Rugby Xplorer competition feed for the Bingham Cup 2026.
| Date | Round | Home | Score | Away |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 20 Aug 2026 | Pool | Melbourne Chargers Purple | 0 – 54 | Spartans 1XV |
| 20 Aug 2026 | Pool | Spartans 1XV | 31 – 0 | San Francisco Fog 3 |
| 21 Aug 2026 | Pool | Spartans 1XV | 41 – 5 | Dallas Lost Souls |
| 22 Aug 2026 | Quarter Final | Melbourne Chargers Red | 5 – 22 | Spartans 1XV |
| 22 Aug 2026 | Semi Final Bowl | San Francisco Fog 2 | 5 – 12 | Spartans 1XV |
| 23 Aug 2026 | Final Bowl | Spartans 1XV | 28 – 7 | Appalachian Thunderkatz |
IGR UK North 2
Finished 1st, played 8, won 7, drawn 0, lost 1. 8 matches on record. Source: England Rugby competition system.
| # | TEAM | P | W | D | L | PF | PA | +/- | TB | LB | Pts |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Spartans 2XV | 8 | 7 | 0 | 1 | 454 | 166 | 288 | 8 | 1 | 37 |
| 2 | Liverpool Tritons RUFC 1XV | 8 | 6 | 0 | 2 | 382 | 164 | 218 | 7 | 0 | 31 |
| 3 | Coventry Corsairs RFC 1XV | 8 | 4 | 0 | 4 | 233 | 273 | -40 | 3 | 0 | 20 |
| 4 | Newcastle Ravens 1XV | 8 | 2 | 0 | 6 | 187 | 337 | -150 | 3 | 0 | 12 |
| 5 | Birmingham Bulls | 8 | 1 | 0 | 7 | 136 | 452 | -316 | 1 | 0 | 6 |
| Date | Home | Score | Away |
|---|---|---|---|
| Saturday, 04 Oct 2025 | Coventry Corsairs RFC 1XV | 15 – 52 | Spartans 2XV |
| Saturday, 11 Oct 2025 | Spartans 2XV | 63 – 20 | Newcastle Ravens 1XV |
| Saturday, 08 Nov 2025 | Spartans 2XV | 62 – 19 | Birmingham Bulls |
| Saturday, 22 Nov 2025 | Liverpool Tritons RUFC 1XV | 24 – 46 | Spartans 2XV |
| Saturday, 14 Feb 2026 | Spartans 2XV | 57 – 26 | Coventry Corsairs RFC 1XV |
| Saturday, 28 Feb 2026 | Spartans 2XV | 24 – 29 | Liverpool Tritons RUFC 1XV |
| Saturday, 28 Mar 2026 | Birmingham Bulls | 12 – 91 | Spartans 2XV |
| Saturday, 04 Apr 2026 | Newcastle Ravens 1XV | 21 – 59 | Spartans 2XV |
IGR UK Bowl
1 match on record, 0 of them with a score. Source: England Rugby competition system.
| Date | Home | Score | Away |
|---|---|---|---|
| Saturday, 25 Apr 2026 | Colchester Kings RFC 1XV | No score recorded | Spartans 2XV |
| Group | Role | Name |
|---|---|---|
| Committee | Chair | Joshua Sanderson-Kirk |
| Vice Chair | Christian Davis | |
| Secretary | Jonny Fletcher-Wright | |
| Treasurer | Gareth Longley | |
| Director of Rugby Union | Alessandra Lewis | |
| Director of Touch Rugby | Ben Dawson | |
| Director of Touch Rugby | Michael Clarke | |
| Club Captain, Union | Matt Brown | |
| Club Captain, Union | George Campbell | |
| Club Captain, Touch | Ben Walker |
Elected at the annual general meeting of 7 August 2025. The Union captaincy was shared: Matt Brown and George Campbell stood against one another, proposed a job share, and the committee agreed, so the club went into the season with two co-captains. Ben Dawson held Director of Touch Rugby until the end of November and Michael Clarke took the role on from 1 December 2025, with Ben Walker re-elected as Touch club captain at the same time. Christian Davis succeeded Joshua Sanderson-Kirk as chair on 1 September 2026.
Six matches, six wins, and the club's first Bingham Cup silverware at the twelfth attempt. Norths Brisbane Rugby Club, 20 to 23 August 2026.
Pool
Melbourne Chargers Purple0 – 54Spartans 1XV
Bingham Cup 2026 in Brisbane, played at Norths Brisbane Rugby Club, 20 to 23 August 2026. Pool round one, pitch two.
Pool
Spartans 1XV31 – 0San Francisco Fog 3
Bingham Cup 2026 in Brisbane, played at Norths Brisbane Rugby Club, 20 to 23 August 2026. Pool round two, pitch one.
Pool
Spartans 1XV41 – 5Dallas Lost Souls
Bingham Cup 2026 in Brisbane, played at Norths Brisbane Rugby Club, 20 to 23 August 2026. Pool round three, pitch three. Three pool wins from three.
Quarter Final
Melbourne Chargers Red5 – 22Spartans 1XV
Bingham Cup 2026 in Brisbane, played at Norths Brisbane Rugby Club, 20 to 23 August 2026. Quarter-final, pitch two.
Semi Final Bowl
San Francisco Fog 25 – 12Spartans 1XV
Saturday 22 August 2026, Norths Brisbane Rugby Club, pitch three.
The fifth win of the tournament, 12-5 over the San Francisco Fog's second side, and it put the Spartans into the Hoagland Bowl final the following day.
Source: the official Rugby Xplorer competition feed for the Bingham Cup 2026.
Final Bowl
Spartans 1XV28 – 7Appalachian Thunderkatz
Sunday 23 August 2026, Norths Brisbane Rugby Club, pitch one, and the last game of the season.
The Spartans beat the Appalachian Thunderkatz 28-7 to win the Hoagland Bowl, finishing the tournament with six wins from six: three in the pool, then the quarter-final, the semi-final and the final. It closed nearly two years of fundraising to get the club to Australia.
Source: the official Rugby Xplorer competition feed for the Bingham Cup 2026.