Bingham Cup: When the City of Sydney Comes Out to Play

The World Cup of Gay Rugby, The Bingham Cup will be hosted in Sydney for the first time this year, at the home ground of the Sydney Convicts, Australia's first gay rugby union club, in Woollahra and Lyne Park, Rose Bay. Promising a week-long gay and lesbian rugby bonanza, thousands of international gay and lesbian rugby players and supporters are expected to come together in Sydney to create one of the world's largest rugby tournaments.

Kicking off on Sunday August 24, the eight day festival will consist of a three-day rugby tournament as well as an array of free and ticketed events including fabulous parties, film screenings, outdoor social gatherings and bar tours.

Sydney will be a buzz with Bingham Cup festivities, and the harbour city will be turning it on for the world class rugby tournament with a range of events for everyone.  
Bingham Cup Bar Favourites

• Popular gay friendly bars Kinselas, The Beresford Hotel and Stonewall Hotel are the official Bingham Bars for the Bingham Cup. The fun starts from Sunday 24 August with a meet and greet at The Beresford Hotel. All three bars will be part of the Bingham Cup Rugby Bar Tour, plus Super Saturday, a huge charity fundraiser with a special performance by London's Kings Cross Steelers Rugby Club, plus a drag-a-thon race where Sydney's drag queens and kings battle it out for the title.  
• For a touch of class, head to ivy in the CBD, the host venue for the Bingham Cup Closing Party. The popular open-air Pool Club Bar is the perfect spot to cool off post match. For other pool party excitement, Cook & Phillip Aquatic Centre celebrates Bingham Cup with a Pool Party, presented by Harbour City Bears. The ivy will be hosting a celebration to end the tournament with a lush awards presentation followed by the Bingham Cup Closing Party.
• In addition to the official Bingham Cup events, Oxford Street in Darlinghurst is home to the city's best-known gay venues. To give your dance shoes a workout, head to clubs like ARQ, Midnight Shift and Phoenix Bar. Or try the camp classics Stonewall and Palms, or entertainment hubs such as Slide, with its mix of cocktail bar, club and burlesque shows.
• For some true Sydney pub action post match, you can't beat Paddington and Woollahra for a cold beer after a long day on the field. Kick start the night at the Light Brigade Hotel on Oxford Street for a bite to eat before trotting to Lord Dudley Hotel, one of Sydney's oldest and most loved pubs. Continue to Four in Hand Hotel, a hidden gem nestled in the back streets of Paddington. A haven for locals, foodies and tourists.  

See Sydney in Between the Rugby

• Spend an afternoon in Bondi for an experience of Sydney in all its glory; ocean, fashion, art, cafe and the Bondi bar society. For your rugby fix, the Bingham Cup will be hosting a game of touch football on the golden sands of Bondi Beach on Tuesday 26 August followed by a Sunset Social event on the balcony at Bondi Pavilion.       
• Take time to explore the secluded charms of Watsons Bay; the Gap Park with its sweeping views out to sea; Camp Cove Beach, one of Sydney's most beautiful sandy beaches, and lovely old Dunbar House, where you can have brunch on the veranda of this 1830s heritage residence.     
• For a bird's eye view of the rugby, Sydney Seaplanes offers sightseeing tours in a classic Beaver aircraft.  Take a scenic flight of beautiful Sydney Harbour; a flying journey of the golden sandy Northern Beaches; a romantic picnic for two on a secluded beach; or the best 'taxi' ride to one of Sydney's river or ocean restaurants.

Sydney Food Scene

• After a day at the rugby, head to Bondi.  Breathe in the fresh sea air and tuck into local fish carpaccio with a NSW McGuigan Pinot Gris from Orange at The Bucket List, just steps away from the sand.
• At the acclaimed, one-hatted Chiswick in Sydney's Woollahra, celebrity chef/owner Matt Moran nurtures a 150sq metre kitchen garden. The produce is picked in the morning and on your plate by lunchtime.
• Rushcutters on Neild Avenue in Rushcutters Bay emphasises community and locality, sourcing the majority of its produce from Martin Boetz's Cooks Co-Op farm in the Hawkesbury Region while supporting local farmers along the way. 
• The Apollo is an Australian Greek restaurant in Potts Point; the elegantly minimalist refurbishment includes both banquette and outdoor seating, and a chef's table sitting adjacent to the kitchen.

Places to Stay

• For a harbour get-away not far from the tournament, Watsons Bay Boutique Hotel and Beach Club is a hot spot. The Beach Club now boasts a 15-metre open gallery kitchen, new cocktail bar with Caribbean cocktails and a street-level Fish n' Chippery for all hungry rugby fans.
• For beach side comforts Adina Apartment Hotel Bondi Beach features 111 apartments ranging from studios to three bedrooms, most with balconies and close to Bondi beach.
• Closer to the nightlife action in Darlinghurst, the Pullman Sydney Hyde Park offers 241 spacious guestrooms. Overlooking Hyde Park, the hotel is just minutes from the shops, restaurants and nightlife of Oxford, Stanley and Crown Streets.

For more information go to Sydney.com