Bingham Cup 2012 (Part 1)

Where do I start?
I got back from my weekend away to Manchester on Monday afternoon, where I was attending the Bingham Cup rugby tournament. I was an official spectator, accompanying the Kings Cross Steelers of course.
Though I knew I was going to have a good time, I never expected to have as good a time as I actually had. I think I mentioned that I had been asked by Tim Sullivan, chairman of the club, to help out with the second team. I was given the title of the II XV's Tour Manager. Basically I was a dogsbody / gofer / secretary. Most of my duties ended up being to forward texts to the guys in the second team (i.e places and times to meet, what kit to wear etc.) and before and during matches I filled their water bottles. It was a bit frustrating at times, but it allowed me to get to know a few of the Steelers that I didn't already know and of course Iggy, the coach, too. I started sending group messages out to the guys (in batches of 3 because my phone wouldn't let me add them all in one group message), from 10:00 on the Thursday morning.
It all started on Thursday as I made my way to Euston, coincidentally meeting 3 others on the Tube on the way there. As soon as we got up the escalator from the Tube to the Overground there was a big group of Steelers right there and the group just kept growing. When everyone had arrived, only one person was later than requested but still made it before the train left, the first team got onto one train. The rest of us got on another train 20 minutes later. There were nearly 40 of us on the second train and we almost had a whole carriage to ourselves. Almost.
The journey was fairly entertaining, we didn't make too much noise luckily. I had prepared for the journey, starting a trend for the tour, by buying a load of Haribo, Midget Gems and lollies to pass around. I think it was appreciated.
I also had to comply with tour rules from about 20 minutes into the journey. As a tour virgin I had to wear a Liverpool FC badge (to provoke the Manchester football fans), and wear either glitter or make-up on my face AT ALL TIMES. I went for glitter spray, which I got Byron to spray on my hair and chest (some of which ran into my eye and was quite painful).

The DoubleTree Hilton hotel, where we and the tournament itself were based, was just a very short walk from the train station and was actually a really nice hotel (though the lifts struggled to cope with the amount of people using them). There were 88 of us staying at the hotel, with others staying elsewhere (in total there were 107 or 108 of us in the Steelers camp). There were also a few other teams staying at that hotel too.

The first night I joined some of the players for a meal in an Italian restaurant before heading to a bar. I was enjoying my first pint when I got a call from Daz, the captain of the second team asking (telling) me to the Captain's meeting at the town hall. I downed my pint and headed there. It turned out that I didn't have to be there. Sadly I then had to rush back to the hotel, get changed into shirt, tie and trousers before heading back to the town hall for the official Opening Ceremony. It was really great as we all walked down there together, all in matching clothes. We stopped outside the town hall and all lined up on the steps of a statue and had our photo taken. All 88 of us. it makes a great portrait.
The ceremony itself was hosted by the wonderful Jonathan Mayor, featured songs from the Manchester Gay & Lesbian Choir, and also had Ben Cohen speaking and Alice Hoagland too, who is the mother of Mark Bingham (for whom the competition is named). After the ceremony we went back to Canal Street for drinks, with different groups headed to different bars. I went to G.A.Y. bar with a few of the guys (including one that I really like, but who I didn't think was interested in me). I thought it was really cool that we were told to go straight in ahead of the long queue simply because we were associated with the tournament (we were wearing our lanyard i.d.'s). I ended up snogging a local guy at the bar and getting his number before heading back to the hotel.
On the way, I saw one of the second team players outside a bar and he was really really drunk. I tried for half an hour to get him home, then gave up. When I got back to the hotel, the coach was there and I had to tell him. He was really, REALLY not happy. The player came back about half an hour later and went up to his room before coming back down to the bar, getting a drink and sitting next to the coach. Iggy walked off (I think it was to prevent him hitting the guy or something).
I eventually went to bed at just after midnight. The guy I was sharing with, the oldest on the tour (at about 60) was a snorer. Luckily I had thought to take ear plugs. I could still hear him, but managed to get some sleep.

Up early the next morning, Friday, we had arrange takeaway breakfasts for most of the Steelers teams and supporters, which were mostly eaten in the hotel reception area. All the rubbish was thoughtlessly left lying where it fell by the guys. I offered to clear up after them, but the reception staff insisted that they would do it.
Coaches had been arranged to get us to Broughton Park, where all the matches were being played, and I took a coach with the other supporters after the three teams had gone in other coaches.

The Steelers first match was at 10:00. This was for the team that was comprised of a merging of the Steelers & Manchester Village Spartans' third teams (as neither could field a full third team on their own). They called themselves the Sparta Kings, though the program named them, rather gayly, as the Sparklers. The mixed team had never played together before, so they didn't win any of their matches, but did really well considering. The first match, against the Ottawa Wolves ended 0-12.
Next, at 11:00, both the first and second teams played at the same time on adjacent pitches. I obviously watched the second team. They won, 15-5 against the Newcastle Ravens. The first team also won, a decisive 71-0 against the Chicago Dragons. A great start to the tournament.
All the teams played a second match later in the afternoon, after a couple of hours break.
The Sparklers played the Caledonian Thebans, ending 5-25. The second team played the Charlotte Royals, winning 12-8 and the first's played the Washington Renegades which they lost 5-7.
That evening we all met at View Bar, where we would begin all of our subsequent evenings. We were all asked to go to the lower level, overlooked by a balcony and with a stage in front.
Three of the players had arranged some entertainment. They were in drag and performed an amazing lip-synch number. It is brilliant. Take a look:

To be continued...