SYDNEY, Australia — The Sydney Convicts beat the Brisbane Hustlers 31-0 Sunday to win the Bingham Cup gay rugby tournament that attracted 24 teams from 15 countries and 1,000 players and supporters to Sydney.
Tournament officials said an estimated 6,000 spectators watched the grand final, including Bill Pulver, chief executive of the Australian Rugby Union, which on Friday announced new policies to address discrimination based on gender or sexual orientation in the sport.
Also watching the final were Federal Communications Minister Malcolm Turnbull and American ambassador to Australia John Berry.
It was the fourth time the Sydney side has won the Bingham Cup, making the Convicts the most successful of 62 gay rugby teams that play internationally, organizers said.