We’re also drawing the “Road to Bingham” raffle.

Dean Beck of Joy FM will be MC for the event. The BBQ starts at 5:30pm and the presentation at about 7pm.

For more details keep an eye on the facebook event

The Chargers are just about ready to go. Flights are booked; accommodation is locked in. The Chargers touring party numbers thirty-nine – the second-largest contingent outside the top eight clubs. For a club only in its third year this is a remarkable achievement!

The tournament itself will be the largest ever, with forty squads expected to compete and over 1,200 registered players, supporters and officials.

Tournament Talk

The tournament committee has released a draft structure with three sections

• The “Bingham” section, of sixteen teams, which will include the top eight clubs (wich include Sydney, New York, San Francisco, Washington, Seattle, London and hosts Manchester)
• The “Hoagland” section of sixteen teams, named after Mark Bingham’s mother Alice, in honour of her passionate support of the gay Rugby movement. The second-tier section will include the “B” squads of the top clubs, and the developing single-side clubs, likely to include the Melbourne Chargers.
• The “Challenger” section, of eight teams, consisting of developing and hybrid clubs who do not play regularly.

The consequence of this, and the topic of much speculation around the club, is whether we’ll meet the Convicts in either pool play or in finals of our division. We’re expecting to know where we fit into the draw about a week before the tournament.

In our bid to get to Manchester every cent counts and we’re now pleased to announce the launch of our “Road to Bingham” raffle which will wrap up the fundraising efforts to secure our place in the Bingham Cup in Manchester 2012.  Tickets are $5 and will go on sale this week and can be purchased at all our events leading up to Bingham. Keep an eye on our calendar and facebook for details.

Major prizes:

1. 1. Hampstead Dental voucher ($750)
2. Forty Winks voucher ($500)
3. 2 nights at Medina Grand Adelaide Treasury Apartments ($500)
4. Ticketek event voucher ($200)
5. The Athlete’s Foot voucher ($200)

See all prize terms and conditions at www.melbournechargers.org/binghamraffle.

The Chargers’ focus has now well and truly turned back to preparing for the 2012 season and a first crack at the Bingham Cup tournament in June.

2012 will be a milestone year for the Chargers: The pre-season training squad is as large as it’s ever been, and the boys are looking as ready as ever for some hard-hitting football.

The club now has a full 25-man squad registered for the Bingham Cup in June, with a support staff including our coach, team manager, physio support and a handful of partners and supporters.

It speaks volumes about the tremendous support we’ve received from the Melbourne LGBT community that we’re set to take the second-largest contingent to the tournament outside the top eight clubs – many of whom have been operating for 8 or more years. Over the next four months we’ll be doing everything to ensure that we do justice to that support on the pitch in Manchester

Go Chargers!

Sam

Sponsor Update

The club has some exciting news this month on the sponsor front. Hampstead Dental has agreed to come on board as the club’s jersey sponsor for 2012. The Hampstead Dental logo will be front-and-centre on the Chargers Jersey we’ll be unveiling in the next few months.

We’re also thrilled to welcome Forty Winks’ Fitzroy, South Wharf and Prahran stores as sponsors for 2012. Those at Midsumma Carnival would have seen our display promoting the theme for Beer Bust IV: In Bed with a Charger. We’ll be in touch soon with some exclusive offers from Forty Winks for Chargers supporters.

Hampstead and Forty Winks join VAC/GMHC, Laird Hotel, Sircuit, MCV and Joy94.9 as our official supporters for 2012.

Some New Faces on the Coaching Team
I’m also thrilled to be able to introduce our coaching team for 2012:

Neil Hay has a wealth of coaching experience, previously serving Barnes RFC in London as their Head Coach, and more recently at Melbourne Rugby Club as Head Coach (Colts) as well as a variety of administrative and leadership positions at both clubs.

Hamish Bertram has a long history of involvement in Victorian Rugby, having played for many years with the Moorabbin Rams, also serving on their committee for several years. Since retiring as a player, Hamish has built a successful career as a referee.

Neil and Hamish will be supported by our Team Manager and Bingham Cup Tour Manager, Sean Knight.

Neil, Hamish and Sean are already making a huge contribution to the new-look Chargers, and we’re really fortunate to have them involved with the club.

Happening in February and March

Beer Bust IV: In Bed with a Charger
The next Beer Bust is set for Saturday, February 11 at Sircuit: The fun starts at 5pm and $8 gets you free pool, cheap beer and boat races… as well as the opportunity to have your photo taken – in bed with your favouriteCharger! The event as usual will be hosted by our very own Bumpa Love. More details and RSVP @ Facebook

Bingham Cup – 1-3 June, 2012
The Chargers are well progressed in our plans to travel to Manchester for the Bingham Cup. If you are interested in travelling with us as a player or supporter, please let Sean know at sean@melbournechargers.org

Saturday February 11 – Chargers Beer Bust IV – In Bed with a Charger @ Sircuit from 5pm
Saturday February 18 – Bear Chest @ Sircuit from 9:30pm
Sunday February 19 – Sunday Social @ Laird Hotel from 5:30pm
Sunday March 18 – Sunday Social @ Laird Hotel from 5:30pm

Melbourne’s own gay and inclusive Rugby Union team takes on Surge Water Polo in a pub Olympics event which includes such diverse events as arm-wrestling, a press-up competition, pie-eating, and culminates in the final answer to the question of the male physique – “the swimmer or the footballer?”, in the Best Butt competition.

The fun starts from 9pm at Laird Hotel, Gipps St Abbotsford. Entry to the event is $10 and will help get the Chargers to Manchester to compete in the Bingham Cup in June, and helps the Surge raise money to represent Melbourne at IGLA in Reykjavik.

Master of Ceremonies Richard Taki will be ensuring fair play and keeping the competition clean… mostly.

RSVP on Faceboook   |   The Laird Hotel