Tournament results

FOG HOLD THEIR HEADS HIGH AT THE 2010 MINNEAPOLIS TOURNAMENT

The San Francisco Fog played its best rugby on the last day of the 2010 Bingham Cup tournament, leaving everything on the pitch in its three contested matches, as the Fog A side reached the semi-final round in the Cup bracket, while the Fog B side advanced to the championship match in the Shield Bracket, the B side’s highest standing in the Bingham Cup tournament in the club’s history. Of special note, the Fog club collectively executed arguably its best defense in the history of the Bingham Cup tournament, as only two tries were scored against both sides throughout the three-day tournament, with the Fog A side never allowing a try in all of its matches.

SHIELD BRACKET - Semi Finals
SF Fog B Side 15, Atlanta Bucks 0

The Fog B side set the tone of the day for the club, playing tremendous rugby and never looking back while scoring three tries throughout the match en route to a stellar victory that placed the Fog in the championship match.

CUP BRACKET - Semi Finals
SF Fog A Side 0, Sydney Convicts 3

The storied rivalry between the Convicts and the Fog at the Bingham Cup continued in the semi-final round of the Cup bracket, as the A sides of both clubs squared off against each other for the third time in history. The match proved to be a nail-biter, as each team executed flawless rugby and in particular elevated their defensive efforts. With both teams scoreless at halftime, Sydney prevailed with a lone penalty kick in the second half to edge out the Fog in a match that could have gone either way.

PLATE BRACKET - Semi Finals
SF Fog B Side 0, Dublin Emerald Warriors 17

Moving to the championship pitch at the Bingham Cup, the San Francisco Fog’s B Side held their own and never made it easy for the previous tournament hosts Dublin Emerald Warriors in playing for the Bingham Shield, as Dublin forged ahead towards the end of the match as the eventual champions.

The New York Gotham Knights A Side won the Cup Bracket against the Sydney Convicts by a final score of 18 to 15. It was a closely fought battle with three lead changes throughout the match, and in the final seconds, Sydney missed a penalty kick that would have sent the match into overtime had it been made. Other winners of the tournament included the Los Angeles Rebellion (Bingham Plate), Sydney Convicts B Side (Bingham Bowl), Dublin Emerald Warriors (Bingham Shield), Phoenix Storm (Alice Hoagland Crest) and Seattle Quake B Side (Bingham Spoon). Members from over 30 different rugby clubs from around the world (North America, Eurpoe, Australia) attended the well-executed tournament, which was fantastically hosted by the Minneapolis Mayhem Rugby Football Club.

FOG RUGBY CONTINUES STRONG PACE ON DAY 2

The second day of the three-day Bingham Cup® tournament was graced with ideal rugby weather of overcast clouds and cooler temperatures. The Fog remained formidable with three wins in four matches, achieving a perfect record in pool play by both the A and B sides — a first for Fog Rugby at Bingham.

SF Fog B Side 26 - New York Gotham Knights B Side 0

The Fog’s B side ended their pool play competition with precision rugby among the forward pack and back line amidst tough competition from the Gotham Knights B side. The victory resulted in a perfect pool play record of three wins, a first for the Fog’s ever-improving B side.

SF Fog A Side 14 - Los Angeles Rebellion 3

The Fog’s A side started their day against local rivals Los Angeles Rebellion, as both squads duked it out throughout the match. The Rebellion scored quickly with a penalty kick and the Fog answered back with a forward try to end the half and an additional try to seal the match.

Bowl/Shield Bracket
SF Fog 2nd Side 0 - Chicago Dragons 8

Facing upper tier competition for the first time in the tournament and little room for error, the Fog B side played their hearts out and never made it easy for Chicago, finally relenting to a very hard-fought try and penalty kick by the Dragons.

Cup/Plate Bracket
SF Fog 1st Side 56 - Dallas Diablos 0

The Fog A side continued its consistent execution and showcased its depth, as the forward pack continued to grind it out and the back line erupted for numerous breakaways against the Dallas Diablos.

FOG RUGBY MAKES EXCELLENT SHOWING ON DAY 1

The San Francisco Fog RFC achieved near perfection on the first day of The Bingham Cup® tournament in Minneapolis, Minnesota, winning all four of their matches with only one try scored against them all day, despite temperatures that soared into the 80’s on a mostly sunny yet very windy day.

SF Fog B Side 31 - Ottawa Wolves 5

The first match for the Fog reunited the club with two of its former members, who after leaving San Francisco founded the Ottawa Wolves, the Canadian Nation Capital Regions first gay-friendly rugby football club. Both sides played spirited rugby, with the Wolves scoring the lone try against the Fog on the first day of the tournament.

SF Fog A Side 12 - Seattle Quake A Side 0

The Fog’s A side continued its West Coast rivalry with the Seattle Quake’s A side to start the day. Each side grinded out a grueling 20 minutes with no score at halftime, and the Fog broke through in the second half with two tries to grab the victory.

SF Fog B Side 20 - La Rebelyon 0

The Fog’s B side continued its international competition with the La Rebelyon, a rugby team from France. With strong and dedicated play by both the backs and the forwards, the Fog scored four tries en route to a solid match.

SF Fog A Side 58 - Minnesota Mayhem 0

Ending day one with the hosts of The Bingham Cup 2010 tournament in the Minnesota Mayhem, the Fog’s A side picked up where they left off in their first game, ramping up their play until they were firing on all cylinders in scoring a decisive win.

The San Francisco Fog have travelled to Seattle this weekend for the 4th biennial Magnitude 15s tournament hosted by the Seattle Quake Rugby Football Club. The tournament features IGRAB-member rugby clubs from all over North America who face off over a grueling two-day rugby-intensive tournament. The San Francisco Fog fielded an A side and combined their B side players with the San Diego Armada.

The following are Day 1 results:

San Francisco Fog A: 41, Minneapolis Mayhem: 0.
San Francisco Fog A: 17, Los Angeles Rebellion: 0.
San Francisco Fog A: 57, Dallas Diablos: 0.
San Francisco Fog A: victorious over the Seattle Quake B Squad.

Fog B/San Diego Armada: 5, NY Gotham Knights: 29
Fog B/San Diego Armada: 5, Phoenix Storm: 19
Fog B/San Diego Armada: 5, Seattle Quake A: 31

The tournament continues today as the clubs engage in a playoff battle to determine the winner of 2009 Magnitude 15s. Follow the Seattle Quake Magnitude website to get minute-by-minute results of the tournament.

Cheer on the Fog as they vie for the tournament win! Roll Fog Roll!

The San Francisco Fog Women traveled down the coast and made a very strong showing at the Tri-Tip 7’s Rugby Tournament hosted by the home club San Luis Obispo RFC on Saturday, September 6, 2008, as the Lady Fog persevered and made it to the final match, losing in the end by a very slim point margin.

The Fog Ladies first played SLO Beaches, an experienced Women’s side, and held their own with two tries a-piece and a final score of 10-12. The next two games “were short work,” as the Fog squared off against Eagle Rock Rugby, a new Women’s Team in California, and the SLO Rookies, a side filled with new ruggers. The final match “pitted SLO Beaches again against the Lady Fog,” and the song remained the same on this day with a final score of 10-12.

Scores from all four games will be posted soon.

FOG LEAVES GLORIOUS MARK AT THE 2008 DUBLIN TOURNAMENT

The San Francisco Fog saved some of its most memorable moments in its club history for the last day of the Bingham Cup® tournament, leaving every single ounce of passion and pride on the pitch in its four contested matches, and later in the day, in a boat race in front of the entire IGRAB community. As the 2008 Bingham Cup® tournament in Dublin came to a close, the San Francisco Fog yet again held its head up very high, as the Fog first side nobly placed fourth in the Cup bracket, while the Fog second side played its best rugby yet in the history of the club placing fourth in the Plate bracket, the second highest of four brackets. Perhaps most notably, Fog rugger Matt McManus of the Fog second side achieved high honor as the top try scoring player in all of the Bingham Cup® tournament. Over the course of these last three days, the legend of the Fog continued to resonate strong within the IGRAB walls, as the eye of the Fog looks onward towards the future and the next tournament in two years time.

PLATE BRACKET - Quarter Finals
SF Fog 2nd Side 14, Chicago Dragons 7

The Fog second side started the day playing tough rugby, scoring quickly and never looking back. With gorgeous morning weather shining on the pitch, the Fog showed why they belonged in the Plate bracket with its third victory of the tournament, scoring two tries to the opposition’s one.

CUP BRACKET - Semi Finals
SF Fog 1st Side 7, London Kings Cross Steelers 7
London advances on points differential

In a match that players and spectators will surely be telling for the next many decades, the first sides of the Fog and Steelers put on one of the most passionate rugby contests of the 2008 Bingham Cup® tournament. The Steelers came out of the gate strong, scoring a try in the first minutes of the match, and carried a lead over the Fog into the half. As each minute passed in the second half, the Fog looked into the eyes of fate, and when faced with possibly the last play of the match, the Fog marched almost the entire length of the pitch and scored one of the most glorious tries in its hallowed history to even the score at the end of regulation. What ensued was unprecedented in Bingham Cup® history, as London and San Francisco played through four complete sudden death overtime periods, and each team came a hair close to scoring tries numerous times in the process, miraculously stopping each other every time. The sidelines of both clubs multiplied rapidly, and the booming chants of “Steelers” and “Roll Fog Roll” permeated throughout the entire Bingham Cup® grounds. As the fourth overtime drew to a close, the referees and captains met and determined the match based on point differentials. As a result, the match that could have gone either way went the Steelers way based on the slimmest of margins, as the Steelers +123 point differential bested the Fog’s +120 differential by three points. Quickly, the Steelers and Fog not only shook hands but hugged each other, as they knew that they had just played a Bingham Cup® match that will surely be remembered for nearly an eternity. This remembrance was further cemented as both the London and San Francisco clubs proudly traded touring polo shirts with each other at the official tournament dinner later in the evening.

PLATE BRACKET - Semi Finals
SF Fog 2nd Side 0, World Barbarians 16

The Fog second side squared off in the semi-final match against the noteworthy World Barbarians, a group of ruggers that traveled from many continents to play with each in this hallowed tournament. The 2008 Barbarians continued its tradition of fielding a very strong side, yet the Fog second side once again never let down its guard, playing intense, technically-proficient rugby and holding the Barbarians to its lowest score in the Plate bracket competition, a feat that went unnoticed in IGRAB.

CUP BRACKET - 3rd/4th Place
SF Fog 1st Side 5, New York Gotham Knights 10

After playing 60 grueling minutes of passionate rugby earlier in the day, the Fog first side dusted itself off for one last match against the New York Gotham Knights, a contest of two United States powerhouses. The Fog scored early on a prop try, while the Gotham Knights answered back with a penalty kick shortly after. Both sides traded the ball back and forth with stifling defenses, until New York edged through in the last minute running to the corner of the pitch with the winning try. Though the Fog first side may have suffered its first solid defeat of the tournament, witnesses roaming the sidelines unofficially declared the Fog its champions of the day, as they saw the grit and resolve of the Fog over the course of a day that few are able to match.

PLATE BRACKET - 3rd/4th Place
Cardiff Lions 8 Beers, SF Fog 2nd Side Almost 8 Beers
A Boat Race Challenge

In unquestionably the most entertaining match of the day, both the Cardiff Lions and Fog second side counted their lickings and agreed to settle their score in Rugby’s esteemed third half, as eight members of each squad took the stage at the Olympia Theatre during the Bingham Cup® Closing Ceremonies, in front of rabid ruggers from more than 30 teams in the tournament. The theatre echoed ferociously in cries and shouts from the crowd as each player gulped their beer as fast as they could, with Cardiff finishing their beer just a little fast than the Fog. In the end, each team shook each others hands and drank to brotherhood and sisterhood, and similar to the Bingham Cup® tournament itself, went out in a style that only Rugby would know.

The San Francisco Fog displayed absolutely tremendous heart as they placed fourth in the Cup Bracket and reached the semi-finals of the Plate bracket. In what was arguably the most compelling, arresting match ever played in the Bingham Cup® tournament, the Fog first side came from behind at the last minute in regulation to tie the London Kings Cross Steelers after countless overtime periods, with the match being decided by overall point differentials (the Steelers at +243 vs. the Fog at +240).

Day Three full results will be posted on Monday, 16 June 2008.

FOG RUGBY CONTINUES STRONG PACE ON DAY 2

It was the second day of the three-day Bingham Cup® tournament, but the story remained the same with rugby-esque weather and three wins in four matches by the San Francisco Fog. The Fog second side successfully securing a spot among the final 8 teams in the Plate bracket, while the Fog first side advanced to the Cup bracket and are among the final four teams vying for the Bingham Cup heading into the final day.

SF Fog 1st Side 22 - Dublin Emerald Warriors 0

The Fog’s 1st XV started their day against Dublin, the home team and organizers of the 2008 Bingham Cup® tournament. Faced with determined play by the Emerald Warriors as well as a strong fan base adorning the sidelines, the Fog went to work with technically sound rugby en route to a victory in the last match of pool play.

SF Fog 2nd Side 0 - NYC Gotham Knights 39

The Fog’s 2nd side ended their pool play competition with another hard-fought battle against perennial powerhouse from New York. Though beset by a few injuries, the Fog never gave them an easy time during their 40 minutes on the pitch and held their heads high with continued strong rugby play.

PLATE BRACKET - Round 1
SF Fog 2nd Side 39 - NYC Gotham Knights 2nd Side 0

With all of their hard work in their first three matches behind them, the Fog’s 2nd XV erupted in their fourth match in an emphatic victory over New York’s B-side, featuring numerous breakaways and sprints toward the try line by the Fog’s back line, as well as hard crashes and rucks by the Fog’s forwards.

CUP BRACKET - Round 1
SF Fog 1st Side 29 - Los Angeles Rebellion 5

Similar to the Bingham Cup® in 2006, the Fog 1st side squared off against West Coast rivals the Los Angeles Rebellion in the quarter finals of the Cup bracket. The Fog again went to work, as both props crashed through the Rebellion line for tries, and the Fog back line ran up and down the field for additional scores.

The Fog 2nd side plays against the Chicago Dragons in the quarter-final match of the Plate bracket. The Fog 1st side plays against the London Kings Cross Steelers in the semi-final match of the Cup bracket, with the Sydney Convicts playing against the New York Gotham Knights in the other semi-final match.

Day Three headline results will be posted at the end of Sunday’s matches (15 June 2008), while the full results will be posted on Monday, 16 June 2008.

FOG RUGBY MAKES STRONG SHOWING ON DAY 1

The San Francisco Fog RFC made a grand entrance to the first day of The Bingham Cup® tournament in Dublin, winning three out of their four matches.

The day started with opening ceremonies highlighted by a speech from Mark Bingham’s mother, Alice Hoagland, and a rendition of the Irish national anthem. The temperature hovered around 18-22•C (65-72•F) with a mixture of sun, overcast clouds and a little drizzle - in other words, perfect for rugby.

SF Fog 1st Side 67 - Philadelphia Gryphons 0

The Fog’s 1st side took the pitch by storm, playing solid team rugby en route to a decisive victory over the Philadelphia Gryphons, a club that the Fog met once during The Bingham Cup® in London (2004). The Fog took a 29-0 lead into the half and never looked back.

SF Fog 2nd Side 0 - London Kings Cross Steelers 60

Facing the Steelers, one of the perennial top teams in IGRAB, the Fog’s 2nd squad gave their all, playing gritty technical rugby and never giving London an easy try. Though the score looks one-sided, the Fog showed tremendous spirit that impressed their opponents and which would pay dividends later in the day.

SF Fog 1st Side 12 - Manchester Village Spartans 5

The Fog’s 1st XV squared off against the formidable Manchester Village Spartans, who displayed superlative defense and immense heart. The Spartans led the match 5-0 at the half, having scored a sudden try with a cross-pitch kick and run in. The Fog responded in the second half with a beautiful dummy move by the flyhalf for their first try, followed by a breakaway run by their inside center leading to the second try, igniting the Fog’s sideline supporters.

SF Fog 2nd Side 5 - Boston Ironsides 0

The Fog’s 2nd side game against the Boston Ironsides RFC, who took the Bowl in the 2004 tournament, was a nail-biter. Closely matched, neither side was able to score in the first half. Then, in what became the Fog Rugby “play of the day,” a Fog prop broke free with the ball from inside his own 22m line, sprinting down the pitch and ultimately passing to his supporting runner, who scored the only try of the match.

Day Two results will be posted at the end of Saturday’s matches (14 June 2008).

On Saturday, December 8, the Fog traveled many hours down to sunny San Diego to contest against the Los Angeles Rebellion and the San Diego Armada, both members of IGRAB (the International Gay Rugby Association & Board). Besides being a great day full of rugby, it was a pivotal moment for our new recruits, who got a real taste of what it’s like to be part of the Fog. Our thanks to all those who supported the Fog in this event!

Photos of the tournament can be found in our Fog Picture Galleries.