Windy City Media Group Frontpage News

THE VOICE OF CHICAGO'S GAY, LESBIAN, BI, TRANS AND QUEER COMMUNITY SINCE 1985

home search facebook twitter join
Gay News Sponsor Windy City Times 2023-12-13
DOWNLOAD ISSUE
Donate

Sponsor
Sponsor
Sponsor

  WINDY CITY TIMES

Dragons bring home hardware from the Bingham Cup, a first
Special to the online edition of Windy City Times
by Ross Forman, Windy City Times
2016-06-21

This article shared 1423 times since Tue Jun 21, 2016
facebook twitter pin it google +1 reddit email


It was the biggest, and more important, best-ever showing for the Chicago Dragons in the prestigious Bingham Cup, held May 27-29 in Nashville.

The Dragons traveled to the rugby tournament with two teams for the first time ever. The A-side participated in Division 1 and the B-side participated in Division 3, meaning 45 players wore the Dragons' jersey, with a fairly even split of Bingham newcomers and Bingham returning players.

There were 20 teams in the top-tiered Division 1, 16 in Division 2 and nine in Division 3.

Overall, the 2016 Bingham Cup attracted about 1,000 players.

Dragons head coach Mackenzie Doolittle said the teams' showing at the Bingham "was all great."

"A number of trophies are awarded throughout the tournament," Doolittle said. "The teams' A-side, after [struggling in] pool-play, ended up playing in the Hoagland Cup/Plate bracket, [which is] the top hardware for Division 2 teams. This is when we really started to play our best rugby, [including] an awesome, gritty match against the San Diego Armada. James Loehr, one of the leaders on the pitch, really stepped up in that match and I think pushed us over the hump to a victory. We won our next match in a solid, well-rounded, team effort against the Manchester Village Spartans, which was exactly what we needed to do knowing that we would be playing for the Hoagland Cup in our final match of the tournament.

"We ended up losing that match, but saved our best rugby for the end of the tournament."

The B-side was resilient all weekend, especially being thin on numbers and limited in experience. But, "I think being at Bingham was not lost on them and [after] a slow start, the [team] hit their groove later on in the weekend and ended up winning the Challenger Julep against the New York Gotham Knights," he said.

"It was the first time in Dragons history that we left the Bingham Cup with hardware. It was awesome."

The B-side was led by captains Jon Allen and Bobby Schumacher, and other standouts included Tony Furnas, Kyle Loehr, DJ Spaulding and Red Biller, among others.

"For the A-side, I think our success was driven by our depth and flexibility," Doolittle said. "We had a couple injuries; we had some things that just weren't working for us and we had to adjust throughout the tournament. [The] guys took on whatever role they were asked."

Doolittle, 27, who lives in Chicago's North Center neighborhood, was emotional, teary-eyed throughout the event—like all participants.

"Two years ago, at my first Bingham, I didn't know what to anticipate and was overcome with an awesome sense of being part of something so much bigger than myself or a game," Doolittle said. "So this year, I knew what to anticipate and still had chills running up my spine consistently, nervous before matches. After our A-side lost our final match of the tournament, everything hit me at once: pride, exhaustion, disappointment, happiness and I cried."

The 2016 Bingham was "very emotional, but absolutely one of the greatest experiences I have the privilege of being a part of," he said.

Red Biller, 29, lives in Andersonville and is in his second term as president of the Dragons and also the team's representative to IGR ( International Gay Rugby )—and he's been playing rugby for 13 years.

"From the administrative side, this [tournament] has been over two years in the making, so there were a lot of emotions. Even some of our own members don't understand the amount of effort that goes into putting on an event of this magnitude, [which includes] recruitment, fundraising, coordination and logistics. Tensions were high in the days leading up to it and we really owe it to our all-volunteer board/administration, coaching staff, general volunteers and fans for making this possible.

"Both on and off the field the camaraderie and sense of brotherhood is like nothing I've experienced. It's amazing to see the aggression in which people play on the field juxtaposed with the friendship off the field. It's really something to see guys on the verge of a fistfight during the game, sharing a beer and singing drinking songs together as they walk off."

He added, "What I think was the most powerful for me this year was seeing what this event meant to our rookies and [the] old boys. We had so many younger players who were new to rugby and team sports; seeing their excitement and energy was really something. Then you had the old boys and founding members beaming with pride seeing the results of their years of service and commitment to the team."

Eric Ruble was a bright spot for the A-Side, as well as Gabe Spellberg.

"With the numbers we have right now, and the way we've been retaining players, it speaks to the long-term potential of the club," Doolittle said. "I also think it speaks to how the gap between the Dragons and clubs that were, previously untouchable, is dwindling. We're going to be the next club to join the ranks of the elite IGR teams."

The Dragons are now starting their 7's season and training for the fall season. "I think everyone is kind of riding the crest of this wave and just wants it to continue into the fall and keep competing [against] the other clubs right in our own backyard," Doolittle said.

The Dragons, playing since 2003, are part of the USA Rugby organization, the Midwest Rugby Union and the Chicago Area Rugby Football Union ( CARFU ). The Dragons are the first predominantly gay rugby team in the Midwest and the first team in the Midwest to formally join International Gay Rugby ( IGR ).

"I can't say enough how proud I am of everyone on this team," Doolittle said. "We didn't just have a strong showing at Bingham. … We had, arguably, our strongest showing of any season ever. We won a handful of matches against teams that had previously mopped the floor with us. These guys deserve every bit of credit. They worked so incredibly hard all season long, the way they all held one another accountable for getting better was amazing. I am so incredibly proud to be a Dragon and share the pitch with this group of guys."

The Dragons will be marching in the annual Chicago Pride Parade.


This article shared 1423 times since Tue Jun 21, 2016
facebook twitter pin it google +1 reddit email

Out and Aging
Presented By

  ARTICLES YOU MIGHT LIKE

Gay News

Red Stars start season with 2-0 win 2024-03-17
- On March 16, the Chicago Red Stars kicked off their 2024 campaign with a 2-0 road win over Utah Royals FC in the Royals' inaugural match back in the National Women's Soccer League. Ally Schlegel and ...


Gay News

College athletes sue NCAA over transgender policies 2024-03-15
- Former Kentucky swimmer Riley Gaines was among a group of college athletes who filed a lawsuit against the NCAA on March 14, accusing it of violating their Title IX rights by allowing trans swimmer Lia Thomas ...


Gay News

SPORTS Red Stars prepare to kick off NWSL season against Utah Royals 2024-03-15
- It's been a busy winter for the Red Stars, and it's time to put their work to the test. Following a last place finish in the 2023 NWSL season, Chicago has had an active offseason transforming ...


Gay News

Chicago Red Stars release 2024 roster 2024-03-13
- CHICAGO (March 13, 2024) — The Chicago Red Stars announced today their final roster ahead of the 2024 National Women's Soccer League (NWSL) season. The club's roster is bolstered by an array of experience brought not ...


Gay News

Chicago Red Stars release midfielder Jill Aguilera 2024-03-12
--From a press release - CHICAGO (March 11, 2024) — The Chicago Red Stars today announced the release of midfielder, Jill Aguilera. "I want to thank Jill for her time with the Red Stars," said general manager, Richard Feuz. "Over her ...


Gay News

Trans golfer banned from competing 2024-03-08
- Transgender golfer Hailey Davidson spoke out on Instagram after the NXXT Women's Pro Tour suddenly announced on March 8 (International Women's Day) that participants must be "a biological female at birth" in order to compete—banning D ...


Gay News

Chicago Red Stars sign midfielder Leilanni Nesbeth 2024-03-06
Press release - CHICAGO (March 6, 2024) — The Chicago Red Stars announced the signing of draftee and midfielder Leilanni Nesbeth. Nesbeth, Chicago's first-round and tenth overall draft pick in the 2024 National ...


Gay News

Chicago Red Stars announce partnership with Wintrust 2024-02-27
Press release - CHICAGO (Feb. 27, 2024) — The Chicago Red Stars and Wintrust Financial Corporation announced a partnership that will see Wintrust become the club's new front-of-jersey partner and community outreach investment ...


Gay News

Chicago Bears hire first woman assistant coach 2024-02-21
- The Chicago Bears are hiring Jennifer King as an offensive assistant, according to The Chicago Sun-Times and other media outlets. She will be an assistant running backs coach. King—who will become the first female assistant coach ...


Gay News

Brittney Griner's jersey retired at Baylor University 2024-02-20
- On Feb. 18, Baylor University retired Brittney Griner's #42 jersey. Griner—a two-time AP national player of the year, two-time Olympic gold medalist and the NCAA women's career blocks leader (with 748)—attended a Bears home game ...


Gay News

Six Chicago Red Stars called for international play 2024-02-15
- CHICAGO (Feb. 15, 2024) — Six Chicago Red Stars—Jill Aguilera, Julia Bianchi, Sam Fisher, Natalia Kuikka, Alyssa Naeher and Mallory Swanson—have been called up to represent their respective countries during ...


Gay News

Republicans file bill to ban trans women from U.S. Olympic teams 2024-02-12
- Republicans in both houses of Congress have launched another effort to ban transgender women and girls from female sports teams—and this time, they are attempting to ban trans women from competing on U.S. Olympic teams ahead ...


Gay News

GLAAD finds missed chances for LGBTQ+ inclusion in Super Bowl ads 2024-02-12
--From a press release - Sunday, Feb. 11, 2024 — GLAAD is reacting to a lack of LGBTQ storytelling in ads that aired duringSuper Bowl LVIII on Feb. 11 and is reminding brands, corporations and advertising agencies why including the LGBTQ ...


Gay News

SHOWBIZ Raven-Symone, women's sports, Wayne Brady, Jinkx Monsoon, British Vogue 2024-02-09
- In celebration of Black History Month, the LA LGBT Center announced that lesbian entertainer Raven-Symone will be presented with the Center's Bayard Rustin Award at its new event, Highly Favored, per a press release. She joins ...


Gay News

GLAAD, NFL host third annual pre-Super Bowl event 'A Night of Pride' 2024-02-08
- On Feb. 7, LGBTQ+ media-advocacy organization GLAAD, along with The National Football League (NFL), hosted the third annual "A Night of Pride" at Caesar's Palace in Super Bowl LVIII's host city of Las Vegas, a press ...


 


Copyright © 2024 Windy City Media Group. All rights reserved.
Reprint by permission only. PDFs for back issues are downloadable from
our online archives.

Return postage must accompany all manuscripts, drawings, and
photographs submitted if they are to be returned, and no
responsibility may be assumed for unsolicited materials.

All rights to letters, art and photos sent to Nightspots
(Chicago GLBT Nightlife News) and Windy City Times (a Chicago
Gay and Lesbian News and Feature Publication) will be treated
as unconditionally assigned for publication purposes and as such,
subject to editing and comment. The opinions expressed by the
columnists, cartoonists, letter writers, and commentators are
their own and do not necessarily reflect the position of Nightspots
(Chicago GLBT Nightlife News) and Windy City Times (a Chicago Gay,
Lesbian, Bisexual and Transgender News and Feature Publication).

The appearance of a name, image or photo of a person or group in
Nightspots (Chicago GLBT Nightlife News) and Windy City Times
(a Chicago Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual and Transgender News and Feature
Publication) does not indicate the sexual orientation of such
individuals or groups. While we encourage readers to support the
advertisers who make this newspaper possible, Nightspots (Chicago
GLBT Nightlife News) and Windy City Times (a Chicago Gay, Lesbian
News and Feature Publication) cannot accept responsibility for
any advertising claims or promotions.

 
 

TRENDINGBREAKINGPHOTOS







Sponsor


 



Donate


About WCMG      Contact Us      Online Front  Page      Windy City  Times      Nightspots
Identity      BLACKlines      En La Vida      Archives      Advanced Search     
Windy City Queercast      Queercast Archives     
Press  Releases      Join WCMG  Email List      Email Blast      Blogs     
Upcoming Events      Todays Events      Ongoing Events      Bar Guide      Community Groups      In Memoriam     
Privacy Policy     

Windy City Media Group publishes Windy City Times,
The Bi-Weekly Voice of the Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual and Trans Community.
5315 N. Clark St. #192, Chicago, IL 60640-2113 • PH (773) 871-7610 • FAX (773) 871-7609.