Leeds Wins Bingham Cup 2028 as Major LGBTQ+ Rugby Tournament Heads to Yorkshire

Leeds has been chosen to host the Bingham Cup 2028, bringing one of international LGBTQ+ rugby’s biggest events to Yorkshire for the first time. The tournament will take place from 24 to 29 July 2028 and will include both the Bingham Cup and Amanda Mark Cup.

Leeds Hunters Rugby were confirmed as hosts at the closing ceremony of the 2026 tournament in Brisbane on 23 August, beating Dublin’s Emerald Warriors in the final stage of the bidding process. The result gives Leeds two years to prepare for a major international LGBTQ+ sporting event with teams and supporters travelling from around the world.

It will be the first Bingham Cup staged in the UK since Manchester in 2012, and just the third time the tournament has been held in England after London hosted in 2004. Leeds faced strong competition during the bidding process, with six clubs originally submitting proposals before the contest eventually came down to Leeds and Dublin.

What Leeds has planned for 2028

International Gay Rugby describes the Bingham Cup as the world’s largest amateur rugby tournament. The 2028 event is expected to bring a major international rugby festival to the city, with most matches planned for The Sycamores, home of West Park Leeds RUFC and Leeds Hunters.

The final is expected to take place at Headingley, while wider plans include an opening ceremony at the city’s arena, a closing event at the Royal Armouries and an athletes’ village at the University of Leeds.

The successful bid also has support from organisations across the city’s sporting and civic community, helping Leeds build towards an event that will extend well beyond the rugby pitch.

A huge moment for Leeds Hunters

Leeds Hunters were founded in 2016 and are Yorkshire’s oldest inclusive rugby club. The club provides rugby opportunities for adults from different backgrounds and levels of experience, with inclusion at the centre of what it does.

The Hunters have already gained experience bringing inclusive rugby events to Leeds. Earlier in 2026, the city hosted the first International Gay Rugby Global Touch Festival, giving the club another opportunity to bring players together from across the wider rugby community.

Winning the 2028 bid now puts Leeds Hunters onto a much bigger international stage and gives local players the chance to experience the Bingham Cup in their own city.

The story behind the Bingham Cup

The tournament was created in memory of Mark Bingham, an openly gay American rugby player who died aboard United Airlines Flight 93 during the attacks of 11 September 2001. The first Bingham Cup was held in San Francisco in 2002 and the competition has since become one of the most important events on the international inclusive rugby calendar.

The tournament is about more than results on the pitch. Leeds Hunters themselves have described the Bingham Cup as being about community, friendship, belonging and pride, bringing clubs together from different countries through their shared love of rugby.

Why Leeds 2028 matters

Hosting the Bingham Cup gives Leeds the opportunity to showcase both its sporting credentials and its LGBTQ+ community to an international audience. Sports Media LGBT+ reports that each edition brings large numbers of players and spectators into the host city, creating a wider benefit for hospitality, nightlife and local businesses.

There will also be strong British interest when the competition returns home. London’s Kings Cross Steelers won the 2026 tournament in Brisbane, meaning the reigning champions will have the opportunity to defend their title in England in 2028.

For Leeds Hunters, the next two years will now be about turning a successful bid into an event capable of welcoming clubs from around the world. For Leeds itself, it is another opportunity to show that major LGBTQ+ sporting events can thrive outside the UK’s most familiar Pride destinations.

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Sources: International Gay Rugby, Sports Media LGBT+ and Outsports