The Hermits Join The Pack

As I am sitting down to start writing this, it is the day after the Berserkers have returned home from Amsterdam, following a week of early starts, cramped and sweaty rides on public transport, injuries and allergies. Many of my team-mates have returned to work straight away, and I'm quite sure that a number of the ladies team will have had to explain what rugby is to their own horrified co-workers, given the number of black eyes I saw amongst them.

Of course, nobody gets into a sport for the injuries. This has also been a week of team-work, bonding, learning, improving, laughter and love. As someone who speaks often of my love for my fellow Berserkers, this tour was an amazing opportunity for both Kara and myself (two introverts who happily put themselves into social exile back in Scotland) to spend a lot of time surrounded by some of our favourite people.

Readers of this blog will recall that we Alexanders travel with some significant anxieties, with many of them brought about by our tendency to "eat from the kids menu" and our need for flexibility and calmness. I knew going in to planning this trip that I'd be uncomfortable and that I'd need to step outside of my comfort zone, but when Kara said that there was no way she was going to be alone in Stockholm on her birthday while I was in Amsterdam, I knew that we had to take steps to mitigate the discomfort that a strictly regimented training routine would place on us. Months ago, Kara and I organised an Air BnB, Kara planned to stay and relax in Amsterdam a little longer and we were going to make sure we had some control over our routine.

It wasn't to be, however. The week before we were due to travel, Kara found out that our Air BnB had been cancelled and that we had nowhere to stay. Understandably panicked, we started considering our options. This gave us our first instance of Berserker generosity on this trip, when Andrew and Danny invited us to sleep on the living room floor of their Air BnB, situated just around the corner from the "StayOkay" hostel that held the rest of the team. Cue a mad dash to Ikea and Rusta to find airbeds, travel blankets and the like, and we were ready to travel.

Day 1 - Raiding Party Sets Out For Amsterdam

Spirits were high as we spotted the cluster of Berserkers, gathered in Arlanda's terminal 5. Stockholm had been blisteringly hot for the past week, and temperatures were now just starting to settle back into the lower 20s. As Kara and I started hugging and greeting our friends, I smiled as I saw that almost all of us were decked out in our new Berserkers kit, which had just arrived the weekend before. A bold, brazen, boisterous bubble of red and black stood out amongst the suits and ties that filled the airport, and as we started our first "team manoeuvres", the bubble turned into the long procession of almost 40 people that wound its way through the airport.

As we passed through airport security, the mood seemed relaxed and happy. I discussed Hogwarts houses with my small group as we waited to put our stuff onto the conveyor belt. After a little bit of food, our head coach; Danny gathered us around to outline a few rules for the tour. Now, those of you have never traveled as part of a rugby tour may be unfamiliar with the traditions of cruel and unusual punishment that tend to accompany a trip to foreign soil. My favourite example of this is from the 2012 Lions tour, where one player was punished for an infraction by having to make a phone call to their club coach back home, demanding a shot at the captaincy.

A few rules were outlined to us:

"Buffalo Rules" for whenever we were out drinking.
A sparkly, glittery "hair clip" must be kept on your person and be visible at all times.
The team's two mascots "Bosse The Berserker" and "Pippi Longstockings (Långstrump)" were to be protected at all times by their guardians; Harald Petterson and Emma Kullberg. The other members of the team were tasked with stealing said mascots and taking selfies with them, uploading them to Instagram. Every successfully tagged picture would result in citations for the guardians.
Our 2018 Bingham tour shirt had to be worn at all times when not actively taking part in rugby. (This rule was actually instituted later on in the evening, when we were having dinner.)

As we lifted off, I settled in with a movie and relaxed, knowing that the next week was going to be an intense time. I wouldn't be in control of my schedule, my personal space and time would be limited and to top it all off, I'd be mentally and physically exhausted. This assessment was correct, but I also found a lot of comfort in knowing that I'd be in the company of some of the best people I know, playing the sport I love.

When we arrived in Amsterdam, we benefited directly from Kullberg's time living in the city, and getting around. We lined up to buy our train tickets, and I saw the first example of the facial expression I saw a lot on Dutch faces when our raiding party in red got in line for the train, tram or bus. The "Oh christ, never mind. I'll take the next one." look. We also ran in to a guy named Derek, who had traveled from Chicago to play in Bingham. These chance encounters with other Bingham players would go on throughout the week.

After a warm and busy train ride to "Murder Port", the procession of Berserkers rolled in to the StayOkay hostel, getting their first glimpse of their quarters for the next week. Andrew and I went ahead to scout out the Air BnB and I was pleasantly surprised to find that it had windows that opened wide, a high ceiling and a living room floor that would fit two air mattresses. It would be cosy for the 4 of us, but it wouldn't be too uncomfortable.

While the majority of the team was getting settled in: Maja, Matilda and Danny had left us to speak with the media about their participation in the Bingham Cup. This year would be the first year that women would have a tournament to take part in, and our ladies were one of only 4 teams that made up the inaugural women's competition. This was not the last time that our ladies would be interviewed.

After a late dinner at a Thai restaurant near the hostel, we all returned to our dorms, preparing ourselves for a long week of rugby ahead. Kara arrived on a later flight, and when we got to our apartment, we set about blowing them up, without a pump. This led to some stifled hilarity, as we didn't want to wake our gracious hosts, but seeing my wife blow up a giant airbed like a party balloon is going to stick with me for a while.

Day 2 - Even The Air Is Trying To Kill Me

After a shaky night's sleep, where Kara didn't enjoy the cooler temperature in our makeshift bedroom, we grabbed a bus and started making the long trip out to the training pitches that Bingham had set aside for us. Before we'd even left the apartment, I knew that it was going to be a rough day for me. My hayfever symptoms suddenly came to life, and I spent the start of the day in extreme discomfort, standing on a packed bus, raking in my bag for a packet of tissues and desperately hoping that I'd have enough to last the day.

After a 90 minute journey to get out to the pitches, we found a spot in the shade of some large trees and began warming up for our first time handling the rugby ball on tour. One of my favourite things about this tour was the change-up that was made to our warm-up schedule, so it now incorporated a lot more stretching and yoga, led by Maria (or "Face"). This sort of stretching was probably responsible for me surviving the tour, and hopefully we will use it more often in the future. This first training session was a good chance for us to shake the cobwebs from our team playbook, and we finally started using the call system that our coaching team had introduced back at camp a few months back. It was a bit iffy at first, but I am confident that by the end of our time in the Netherlands, we all knew what we were doing.

Not content with the discomfort caused by the heat and my hayfever, I made sure to spend plenty of time getting my knees and elbows nice and scratchy by placing them on the grass. It is a little bit ridiculous to be a rugby player that's allergic to all of the elements involved in rugby, but I guess that sums up my current approach to the game. "Perform, in spite of your current situation." (Maybe that sounds more poetic in latin?)

Clip check on the way back from training on day 2.

After this session, we got back on the bus and headed back into town. With a little refreshment and after a cold shower, we all went to the hotel Casa for player registration. The atmosphere in the hotel was very positive, with the lobby and exterior being filled with volunteers and other players. I got a little chance to say hello to the "Caledonian Thebans"; an IGR team representing Edinburgh at the tournament. After signing up, we got our Bingham "goodie bags" and went to grab some lunch.

The latter part of the afternoon was spent crossing Amsterdam with the team, piling on to public transport and wandering through the busy streets in the baking sunlight. As we left a metro station and ascended into the sun, I discovered that one of my team-mates has the photic sneeze reflex, which was something I'd heard of, but never actually seen. During this journey, I also discovered that a couple of my team-mates wanted nothing more than to go AWOL, so that they could hunt for KFC. This behaviour would manifest in a much more noticeable way later on in the tour. After a short stop, where the fairest skinned amongst the team sheltered from the sun, we walked on to our first "team building exercise" of the tour.

Simon was just one member of the "KFC Crew" in the team.

In a nutshell, we took part in a "CSI" style walking tour, where we were tasked with solving a murder while walking around some of the old parts of Amsterdam. Our group was split into smaller teams of around 6 people and we were given a briefcase with clues. After scattering into the city, we ran into each other quite often, taking pains not to talk too loudly about our findings and generally trying to work out just how in-depth we were meant to go into investigating. I genuinely walked in to one of the shops that were marked as a crime scene on our map and started taking pictures. The old boys outside seemed to be ok with it, though.

After a pleasant afternoon of walking around, solving puzzles and taking pictures, Kara's team ended up winning the prize of a bottle of sparkling wine. Our group got the right motive and murderer as well, but Kara's team had a more complete timeline. I was happy for Kara, and expected nothing less, as she has recently been binging on podcasts about murder and the macabre.

Following on from the CSI event, we walked a short distance to our first big team dinner, where we had yet more time to chatter amongst ourselves. While we were sat at our table, I couldn't help but smile as I got to know some of my ladies team players a little better. The conversation came to a triumphal climax as one of our newest, youngest players was accidentally able to make water shoot out of her nose, earning her the less than flattering nickname "Snotterfall". Once dinner was over, the men and ladies parted ways, with the ladies disappearing to a night at a local club, celebrating the ladies Bingham cup. The men's trip back to the hostel was uneventful right up to the point where all but one of us disembarked at the tram stop. Simon had been too slow in climbing off the tram, and had left himself open to the near-constant mockery that would follow him all the way up to the kangaroo court at the end of the week.

After a relaxing evening of buying groceries, relaxing in our apartment and chatting with my team-mates, I welcomed Kara back in to the apartment upon her return from the club. She told me stories of uplifting responses from the Bingham cup village as the ladies passed through it, with spontaneous applause and an outpouring of support and gratitude from the male Bingham players. Kara also told me that the night club they were partying at had featured some extremely graphic adult movies, which had been something of a surprise to one or two of our younger, more innocent players. (This innocence was rewarded appropriately with a lewd t-shirt prize at kangaroo court.) Suffice it to say that our ladies (and the ladies of the Ottawa Wolves, ARC All Blues and World Barbarians) felt a warm welcome from the male players, and came back to base feeling the love.

Day 3 - Bingham Officially Begins

Day 3 started with yet another early trip across the city to our practice area. Some of our female players were called away to speak with camera crews who were following the ladies team throughout the campaign. As Face led us through our warm-up, I spied a cameraman circling around the group, taking some sneaky shots as we groaned and winced through stiff joints and tired muscles. The training session was good fun though, and after a team run, I felt like we were ready for the following day.

After a relaxing afternoon, the team got suited and booted before heading to the Bingham village to begin our team parade that ended in a club called "Escape", where the opening ceremony was to be held. It was at this event that I saw the scale of the event we were to take part in. Hundreds of people filled the street, decked out in their club colours. Many were wearing something similar to our white shirt / club tie ensemble. The procession was quite short, but as we passed people on the street, many of them would turn to look. As we piled in to the venue, the stifling heat mixed with loud music to create an all-too-familiar nightmare scenario for me; the dreaded "club".

Definitely selfie time while we're all so dressed up.

After spending most of my teens and early twenties talking myself out of visits to clubs, it was refreshing to be at one that was filled with people I knew I had something in common with. The majority of my team quickly got to work, pushing the limits of the 2 drink limit and enjoying the company of their friends. Despite my dislike for clubs, I couldn't help but smile as I watched my friends bouncing around, laughing and joking with each other as we waited for the ceremony to begin.

The ceremony was hosted by a friend of the Amsterdam Lowlanders, an American man who was dressed like a lost member of the Sergeant Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band. Every team was introduced, and while the tone of the show did swing dramatically at points (including a strange anecdote from Mark Bingham's mother about the persecution of puritans and Holland), most of the show featured somewhat predictable tongue-in-cheek jokes and double entendres. By the end of our time at the ceremony, most of us were sweaty and uncomfortable, wanting nothing more than to head back to base and unwind. Tomorrow was a game day.

Johan and Matilda enjoy the party atmosphere at the opening ceremony.

Day 4 - "Switch On, It's Game Time!"

Day 4 was an early start for the team; one that made me grateful that we had returned to our quarters to rest relatively early the night before. Our first kick-off was against the team that was touted as our group's favourites; the London King's Cross Steelers (C-Team) at 8:30. That meant traveling across the city to the match venue for around 7:30. When it came down to it, I was getting up at 5:30 in the morning. Bleary eyed and woozy, I was delighted to see that the start of the tournament had brought cooler weather and an easing of my allergies. Despite my tiredness, I started our first tournament day feeling better than I had done since we arrived.

Men - Game 1: KXS (C)

When we got on to the pitch, I had no idea what to expect from either us or the competition, but I was confident that we would make a good show of it. From the start, our gameplan had been to utilise our carrying forwards to roll the ball forwards, maintaining possession and hopefully grinding down the Steelers before passing it out to our backs. Fortunately, this gameplan worked, and we were rewarded with three trys that came from the back of close play, including a lovely contested finish from Evan after Jamie tried a sneaky blind-side dart around the maul that was formed from a lineout. Our scrum was stable and strong, and Jamie was able to set up yet another try, sending Danny in right next to where the forwards were untangling from the scrum. I got my head up just in time to see him go over. To top it off, I was able to take advantage of some strong rolling forward play and carried the last few meters with a pick & go that took me almost uncontested over the try line to score my second Berserkers try.

Ultimately, this was the game that settled my nerves and allowed me the confidence to play the kind of forwards game I like to play. Strong carries with reliable support play and rucking ensured that while it didn't look glamorous, we were able to see our work on the training grounds pay off. This style also set the tone for the rest of our tournament. Going in, we had a drastic shortage of back substitutes, and as the tournament started to take its toll on the players, we had to adapt our gameplan to make use of our strengths on the bench. The pressure on our forwards was only to intensify, as we lost two of our fastest players in the first game. Our fullback Harald had been nursing a hamstring injury that erupted again, and our openside flanker Johan injured his ankle, meaning that after just our first game, we were lacking speed in both our forwards and backs.

Result: Stockholm Berserkers: 19 - 5 :London King's Cross Steelers (C)

Evan opens scoring on day 1, capping off a team effort and a drive to the line.

Good pace and link up between Jamie and Danny send Danny over for try 2

I break through to score my first and only try of the tournament.

Ladies - Game 1: Ottawa Wolves

Our ladies team, including Kara, Kullberg and Rebecka, who couldn't play, but helped immeasurably.

Our ladies team is made of troopers. The Swedish ladies league pits the Berserkers against teams that have years more experience, more physically imposing players and much more in terms of resources and support. The result of this is that our ladies are often on the end of unflattering scorelines that fail to show the resilience, mental fortitude and bravery that they show every time they play. The ladies tournament at the Bingham cup was made up of two IGR teams and two non-IGR teams, including the local ARC All Blues. This first match-up against the Ottawa Wolves would be a much more evenly fought battle than our ladies were used to, and I was keen to see how it went. Much like our men's team, the Berserker ladies have had to hone their defensive capabilities, and while I had the utmost confidence that they could shut a team out, I wasn't sure how we would do in attack.

The game started with a bad omen. Our #8, Patrice went down early, clutching her knee and making sounds that scared the daylights out of me. Fortunately, the damage doesn't seem to be as bad as we'd originally guessed, and Patrice spent most of the rest of the tournament as a supporter, hobbling around or getting piggybacks from her fellow players. Just before half-time, another one of our players went down and didn't get back up. It turns out that our winger; Izzy had taken a big knock to the face. The next time we saw her, one cheek had swollen up to a ridiculous degree, making her already winsome face resemble a chipmunk's from the right angle. At half-time, with neither team having scored, I was forced to stop watching, as we had to prepare for our second game against the Newcastle Ravens. As we completed our warm-up, one of our rookies and rising star of the tournament; Alicia appeared at the edge of the pitch and caused spontaneous cheering as we discovered that the Berserkers had edged the Wolves out by a single converted try.

Result: Stockholm Berserkers: 7 - 0 :Ottawa Wolves

Men - Game 2: Newcastle Ravens

Our spirits buoyed by the first game, I felt a bit more settled against Newcastle. Our playstyle would likely match their own, as they had a more physical, aggressive pack that liked to carry the ball. I started the game by pissing off the opposition #8. He was lying on our side of a ruck, and feeling confident in my chances at rucking over, I planted my foot and began to drive forward. Little did I know that I was in fact raking over the Newcastle player's thigh. As the ruck was breaking apart, he was pretty vocal about his distaste for how the ruck had gone. As a fun twist to this story, it also turned out to be his birthday!

As with our first game, we utilised our forwards extensively, attempting to punch-up into the danger area and make use of our forwards-heavy bench. I felt a lot of pride as a forwards coach while we turned over almost every single scrum, which must have been a huge drain on morale for Newcastle; knowing that even if we knocked on, we'd have the ball back in no time. Physically, Newcastle had a big, beefy pack, but I think our work on scrumming technique paid off, and that's what won us that forwards battle.

No video footage exists in the Berserker archives, but I know from my own scattered memories and some asking around that Danny and Senior scored our tries in this game, with one being converted and Danny slotting over a penalty in the end to seal the deal. All of our pool-stage matches were played on the same pitch and so my memories start to blend together, making it difficult to tell which game they are from. I do recall that we left a couple of tries out there that day, with a few handling errors and mistakes in judgement leaving us with a less flattering score than we could have had.

Result: Stockholm Berserkers: 15 - 5 :Newcastle Ravens

Ladies - Game 2: ARC All Blues

The ladies had the men supporting them from the start to the end of their second game, with our work being done for the day. With 3 wins from 3, morale was high and we were hoping for a 100% success rate to cap off day 1.

The ARC All Blues were one of the two non-IGR teams in the ladies competition. Physically imposing, technically capable, experienced as a team and playing on home soil; they were always going to be the toughest team to beat. That morning, they had shut out the 4th team in the bracket; the World Barbarians had failed to score even a single point against them.

The game started disappointingly with our ladies showing hesitation in moving forwards to shut down the opposition. A lot of passion and frustration was being displayed, and our attacking play was consistently rolling forwards, but the intensity of the All Blues side was proving to be a challenge. As we rolled forwards, they would constantly be looking to disrupt our breakdown and turned us over quite effectively on a few occasions.

In the second half of the game, we came out with a fresh intensity that set a much better tone for the remainder of the match. Our forwards recognised the need to stabilise the rucks and our defensive line worked hard to put more pressure on the All Blues. Where they had run over us in the first half, they started to meet resistance that forced them to push the ball wide. Our attacking game also improved, and with a slow and gradual build up, we were able to keep punching the ball up, into the opposition half. Making it difficult for ourselves (as is the Berserker way) we spent a lot of time in the All Blues' 22 before we were able to commit enough of their defenders, opening up a gap for Face to slip through for some well-earned points. Unfortunately it was a consolation try, with the first half allowing the opposition to put some major points on the board.

Result: Stockholm Berserkers: 5 - 41 : ARC All Blues

Consistent pressure from the Berserkers opens up a gap for Face to spring over the line.

With some bumps, bruises and a concussed ladies scrum-half, we regrouped, taped what needed to be taped and headed back to base camp at the hostel. After a substantial wait at the edge of the sports fields for the bus back, it was nice to be able to eat some food and relax in our own space. The pitches that we were playing on were technically grass, but the conditions were extremely arid. Dust and grit seemed to underlay the topsoil, which was mostly torn apart by all of the games being played on top of it. This meant that every time you tackled or were tackled to the ground, you'd have to clamp your eyes shut to avoid the dust cloud. So much sand went up my nose during this tournament that had my hayfever struck, I would have caused a sandstorm.

I think Astrid was enjoying her first Bingham Cup experience!

Day 5 - "Didn't we do this yesterday?"

Ladies - Game 3: World Barbarians

Day 2 of the competition started just as early as the day before. We packed into the busy coach from the hostel and arrived at around 7:15 at our tent. The ladies had another warm-up and before we knew it, they were taking the field against their last unknown foe in the tournament; the World Barbarians.

For those unversed in rugby, a "Barbarians" team is a squad that do not normally play together as a team. At a professional level; they are made up from top-quality players who are not obligated to play for their club or country. The quality of the players goes a long way to making up for the fact that they will probably only have a week or two to practice together before they play against an experienced, co-ordinated side. In the case of this Bingham tournament, the ladies World Barbarians mostly seemed to be individuals or small groups from teams that weren't able to send 7 people, nevermind 23. That being said, the ladies Barbarians were a physically imposing side, with an inclination towards forwards. The game that followed showed that where the pros will gel and co-ordinate, these ladies decided to take advantage of their size and some sorely lacking refereeing.

This game was brutal and physically draining for our girls, who were already largely held together with tape and pluck. Our co-ordinated efforts to play our game were constantly dashed by dirty play from an opponent who seemed to be completely oblivious to the illegality of their own tactics. In a game of shocking referee oversight, two instances stand out. On one occasion, a Barbarian player knocked the ball on about 5m, in front of the linesman and at least 30 fans who lined the side of the pitch. It was so blatant that it looked liked a basketball bounce pass, and the referee missed it entirely. The second and most egregious occasion was when Matilda (acting as scrum-half) was hit late in the ruck by a player coming in offside, far too high and with no attempt to wrap her arms. The upshot of this was a shoulder-charge that broke Matilda's cheek-bone, ending her tournament. The Barbarian didn't even receive a yellow card for a tackle that would draw a red card in any professional arena.

After losing Jo-jo following another head-knock, it was increasingly clear that we weren't able to play the game we wanted to. Our phases looked solid, and had the opposition been forced to play by the rules, I'm convinced that we would have put at least two tries past the Barbarians. As it stood, we never took our chances against a team that looked sloppy and in disarray most of the time. The Barbarians scored 3 tries against us, consistently putting us under pressure around the breakdown. As with our last game, we stood-off from contact a little too much, and while we were able to put some phases together, we never moved forward with the same intensity and hunger that I've seen us play with at our best. On the plus side, we contested well at line-out time, and despite our smaller size, we dominated the scrums as well. In terms of technical abilities, I was very proud of how our forwards handled the pressure.

One of the most frustrating games of rugby that I have ever watched; game 3 was by far the worst refereeing that I have ever seen at any level. The women's tournament had been poorly served by Bingham's organisers, with trainee referees being used for all but the final 2 games, but this referee was almost comically inept. I know that it's gauche and unsporting to comment on the refereeing decisions made in a game in some effort to make excuses, but the conditions that our women were forced to play in were not only unfair, but extremely unsafe, resulting in our captain having to pull out of the tournament with a broken cheek-bone. Watching from the sidelines literally drove some spectators to tears.

With this result, the ladies team were now locked-in to play the Ottawa Wolves once again to decide the 3rd and 4th places in the inaugural ladies Bingham Cup tournament.

Result: Stockholm Berserkers: 0 - 15 World Barbarians

Men - Game 3: Northampton Outlaws

The last game in our pool stages, Northampton were by far the most physically imposing team we had in our group. With a center who was even bigger than me, and a large but slightly aged pack of forwards, I wondered how our direct forwards-heavy (pun not intended) approach would would against them.

As it turned out, it was nowhere near as effective. The Northampton boys hit us almost as hard as we hit them in the close game, and it became increasingly obvious to us that we needed to utilise our back line and try to stretch them. For the majority of the game we did just that, pulling them in and throwing the ball out to our backs who consistently made yards. Danny wasn't afraid to use the boot, and we often found ourselves chasing and making good yards.

Late in the first half, we went on a short emotional rollercoaster. After a beautifully weighted pass to the wing, Victor took the ball at pace and hit a gap in the Northampton defensive line. He broke through, and was brought down on the try line. The nature of his dive caused a cheer to erupt through the Berserkers and it was only after a few short seconds that I realised the referee had not blown his whistle. In his frenzy to score his first ever Berserkers try, Victor had misjudged his landing, causing him to brace his landing one on arm while being tackled. This had resulted in him putting too much pressure on the arm, causing his elbow to dislocate. Our fears of a knock-on had become concern for our team-mate. Maja was called from the sidelines as she nursed her ever-injured ankles to help Victor get his arm sorted, and he was clapped from the field.

Victor comes painfully close to scoring his first Berserker try.

Victor grabs some consolation time with Bosse.

Due to our heavy reliance on forwards, Matthew "Twinkletoes" Ritson was called up from the pack to fill in at inside center. Our switch to put the ball out wide paid off when Ritson burst through several tackles to touch down towards the end of the first half. The middle section of the game was ours, with constant pressure leading to Danny dotting down, and another try going begging after a misjudgement of the dead-ball line caused a try to be disallowed.

Moving Ritson to center has its benefits, as he tears through Northampton’s defense.

Northampton took their chances, though. And after I gave away a stupid penalty, we allowed them back into the game. Two tries came towards the end of the game, with their captain slotting a perfect dropgoal conversion at the death to tie us 12-12. The team's morale had taken a huge knock, and it was telling that after dominating for so much of the game, we felt like we'd lost it all, just by allowing the opposition to draw. We had won our group and were undefeated, but we knew that this was only the beginning.

Result: Stockholm Berserkers: 12 - 12 :Northampton Outlaws

Ladies - Game 4: Ottawa Wolves (3rd Place Decider)

Bruised, battered and bloody; the Berserker "Shieldmaidens" took to the field one last time to decide their placement at the end of the tournament. Unable to field a team of 15, we reduced our numbers to 10 and played a kind of rugby that is even more taxing and tiresome than 15s.

It was a scrappy start for us, with us giving away silly penalties around the ruck. At first I put it down to the fatigue that we were all feeling, but as I kept watching, I noticed that it was barely bridled aggression and determination that was causing us to leap in and make bad choices.

The ladies got a handle on that aggression, and in a display of forward momentum that was beautiful to behold, we carried, shoved and dragged the ball up the field. To cap off the move, Jo-jo shot the ball out to Face, who accelerated into the space and added to her tally, as she touched down with an excited flourish. We maintained the same pressure and looked good in attack throughout the game, with Julia making a bizarre and wonderful carry where she successfully convinced the Wolves not to tackle her, while she jogged forwards. We made about 40 metres, but sadly the offload didn't work out and we knocked on, just short of their line. Ottawa responded with their scrum-half sending a well judged kick deep into our half, followed by a great chase. With the game being close, I was a bag of nerves until Astrid came out of nowhere to throw herself down onto the ball, snuffing out the immediate threat and securing possession.

Face finishes off a period of strong, aggressive forward carries.

Astrid also put her skills to good use at the other end of the pitch, finding the line and scoring a try after a solid set of phases and carries from our back line. With the last 20 minutes being spent containing the Wolves in their own half, our ladies had stamped their authority onto the game, with Jo-jo and Astrid especially putting in some monster hits, causing Ottawa to spill the ball out of the tackle.

Astrid pushes through after a solid set of phases.

When the game ended, it was an emotional affair for everyone involved. The ladies had gone through two days of tough rugby and had come out with 2 wins and 2 losses. The floodgates opened as that last whistle blew, and the men rushed in to join the ladies in their victory. It was exactly the morale boost that the men needed as we immediately set off to mentally prepare for our next game.

Result: Stockholm Berserkers: 12 - 0 :Ottawa Wolves

Men - Game 4: Columbus Coyotes (Tier 2 Quarter Final)

After graduating out of our group undefeated, the Berserkers men's team discovered that due to our relatively low-scoring games and the draw against Northampton, we wouldn't be promoted into the competition in Tier 1. We would be staying in Tier 2 to fight for the top-spot. Morale had been lifted by the ladies victory, and spirits were generally quite high around the Berserkers camp, but as Danny and I took a moment to discuss the team-sheet for game 4, it was increasingly clear that we wouldn't be able to play with the style that we had trained for in the lead-up to the tournament. Between the players lost through injury, our forwards-heavy subs bench and the fact that we were all sporting an injury of some description, we had dulled our "cutting edge" in the back line. With players out of position and a gameplan that can only be summed up as "making the best of what we had", we were resolved to keep playing the physical, aggressive brand of rugby that had been wearing us down.

There was a lengthy period that afternoon where we didn't know where the game was going to be played, or who we were to be facing. When we finally found out, we had just an hour or so to quick-march the team about half a mile across the complex to find the "far-away" pitches. We'd never played out here before, but just like with the main pitches, they seemed to be lined with canals and thick, overgrown nettles. With a quick and slightly unfocused warm-up, we squared off against the Columbus Coyotes.

The first thing we noticed about the Coyotes was the size of their forwards pack. They had a lock that looked to be at least 6ft 8, and a big, gruff front row. It didn't take long for us to feel the pressure as the Coyotes did a great job of keeping the ball and gradually moving the ball up the field, forcing us to move our tired bones to cover. We gave a good account of ourselves, though, and it was the Berserkers who eventually drew first blood, with Danny taking the ball standing still, yet being able to find the pace to dive over the line. After a relatively easy conversion, we went back to soaking up pressure. This culminated in possibly my most vital action of the whole tournament; anticipating their number 10's dive for the line off the back of a ruck. Instead of targeting him, I went straight for the ball and as he fell for the line, I was able to get just my hands underneath the ball. All credit to the referee, as he called it straight away. No try, the ball was held up.

Danny scores the deciding try against Columbus.

I took myself off for the second half. Limping and struggling to chase the ball around, I stalked the sideline and cheered on the team. The second half was spent mostly trading blows, much as the first half had been. The Coyotes came perilously close to scoring on a few occasions, with our back line doing a fantastic job of pulling them down before they could equalise. A lot of last-ditch, hail mary tackles were made and we were clinging on by the end of the game. Just before the final whistle, Danny went down. With both myself and Danny unable to steer the game, our more experienced players stepped up and were able to shut out the Coyotes just long enough. When the final whistle blew, we were ahead by a narrow margin that we were very lucky to have.

Result: Stockholm Berserkers: 7 - 0 :Columbus Coyotes

We make a little break in open play.

Day 2 of the competition had been grueling, without a doubt. Injuries were whittling us down, and our last game had been played in very hot conditions. We were exhausted, but we were also happy to have made it to the last day undefeated. We knew how close we had just come to defeat, but it felt good to know that we had a night to rest and recover. We boarded the bus and headed back to basecamp for some dinner. The ladies had a party that they were invited to attend, now that their tournament play was complete. I laughed when I saw how upset the ladies were at the prospect of being invited to a party, when all they wanted to do was relax and sleep. "Welcome to my world" I thought, but I sympathised.

That night, I had a lengthy chat with one of the coaches from the Swansea Vikings team. They were staying at the same hostel as most of the team and we just sparked up a conversation when I asked how they'd performed that day. This was one of my favourite things about the tournament; just how friendly and familiar people were. I think the fact that we all knew that we were there for the same reason and shared a passion made people very open and affable. Knowing I'd need to be up late to let Kara back in, I stuck around the hostel for a while, chatting with the team and taking a little time to de-compress. It was one of the few moments of real relaxation that I had during the entire trip.

At the end of day 5, the team pulls together to save Astrid from a swamp, after she goes in looking to rescue a beachball.

"Boobs to the sky!"

Day 6 - "A Shot At Glory"

As the last day of the competition dawned, the team reveled in the slightly delayed start to proceedings. With the first game being played after 11, we enjoyed our first day of tournament play that didn't begin with waking up at 6 or earlier. With a breakfast to see us through, we packed on to the bus and made our way out to the pitches.

Our warm up was unusually unfocused for us on this trip. We had been doing a good job of doing the same basic drills for so long on this trip, and we were seeing a lot of dropped balls and mistakes being made. Unsure if it was the pressure of the upcoming game, the injuries that were scattered throughout the team or the morning sun's heat, we pushed on until we had to make our way to the pitch to play our 5th game against the Dallas Lost Souls.

Men - Game 5: Dallas Lost Souls (Tier 2 Semi Final)

As we made our way to the pitch, I overhead some chatter that suggested the Lost Souls were a team that didn't enjoy having forwards run at them, and much preferred a more protracted backs battle. I quickly began to doubt this as we caught our first glimpse of the opposition in their white and green strips. Their forward back looked tough, and I got the feeling instantly that this was going to be just as physical a confrontation as any other we had that weekend. I wasn't to be disappointed.

As the first half got underway, we learned that not only do the Lost Souls deal well with establishing a solid close-game defense, they are also very capable ball carriers. They had several players who carried well and brought them over the gain line almost every time. During this game, I put a tackle in on one of them, bringing him to ground in a manner that made both of my arms go numb for a moment. As I attempted to place my weight on my right arm to get up from the ground, I realised that it wasn't capable of taking my weight. Unable to understand what had just happened, I rejoined the defensive line in time to make a tackle as we had conceded a penalty very close to our own try line. Unable to get my arms into a good position, I tackled far to high and was bounced. Within a phase or two, the Lost Souls had broken our defensive line and scored a try. With a conversion to match, I left the pitch unable to lift my arms above my head and the Lost Souls up 7-0.

Watching from the sidelines, I observed us soaking up a huge amount of pressure, in a way that reminded me a great deal of how our games often go back home in Sweden. Our defensive game was good, as we adapted to cover the wings, with both Fredrik and Fuego putting in massive shifts to bring ball carriers down. Closer to the ruck, Evan was also showing his true quality as a rugby player, making massive tackles, getting up and making another straight after. I was immensely proud of how the team performed in this game. Despite this defensive display, we conceded a second unconverted try, putting us 12-0 behind.

With some instances of solid progression up the field, we ended some solid pressure on the Dallas 5m line with a knock-on that sadly allowed them to clear the danger before we could turn the pressure into points. Once again, this was an instance of us missing the back line speed and cutting edge that a team normally relies on to break that line. The majority of the game was played in the central part of the pitch, but our heads never went down. Knowing that there wasn't much in the contest kept us going, and we were rewarded after Danny sent a clearing kick long down the field, with Fredrik and Fuego in hot pursuit. With Fuego closing down the wide run for the winger who had dropped back to receive the kick, he was forced to pass back inside. What he didn't realise was that Fredrik hadn't slowed his run, and came charging through the gap to intercept the pass. With the sidelines screaming, Fredrik touched down to put us back in the game.

Despite this late score, we never found the second try that we needed. With all of the hard work we had put into shutting Dallas out, we had absolutely exhausted ourselves. As the final whistle blew, the Berserkers tournament ended and we lined up to congratulate and shake the hands of the Dallas boys who had played the best game of rugby I'd been a part of that weekend.

We expressed the sentiment that Dallas had better win now, because we don't want to lose to the losers of the final. They went on to face the team we played right at the very start of the tournament; The King's Cross Steelers C side. It still stings slightly to know that our biggest victory of the tournament was against a team that ended up competing in the final, but it still felt good when comparing our little team, from a nation that is still very early in its love affair with rugby, to the British and American teams we played on the way to the semi-final. As it turned out, Dallas did indeed go on to win the tier 2 tournament, and we cheered them on throughout.

Result: Stockholm Berserkers: 7 - 12 :Dallas Lost Souls

We steal a lineout and come painfully close to scoring a try after a valiant charge upfield.

Fredrik reads the game incredibly well, while Fuego puts their winger under pressure.

The rest of the day was spent in the stands, watching the finals. We had chosen a good spot, right in the grandstand, with plenty of space for both our men and ladies. As mentioned, we cheered on the Dallas players as they took down KXS (C) and as players continually arrived with beers to share around, a real party atmosphere began to permeate the team. The weight of the competition gone from my shoulders, I stopped stressing about my injuries or the upcoming games and was able to relax and hang out with some of my favourite people on a beautiful day in Amsterdam.

With the games over, the team forms a huddle of red, drinks beer and cheers on our chosen teams.

After Dallas won tier 2, we settled in for the Bingham Cup final, the tier 1 match between Sydney Convicts (multiple-time cup winners) and the Gotham Knights from New York, who were going in as underdogs. With the heat really climbing, it was a true display in athleticism and sporting prowess to watch these two teams really going for it. After playing the same amount of rugby as us, these guys were still on-point, sprinting full pace and hitting hard. I couldn't comprehend playing at this level as an amateur player for even a single 80 minute game, but these guys had managed it for 3 days straight. I was even able to cheer on a fellow Avalancher and former Berserker who I never got a chance to meet during the competition, but we had a little chat online where I was able to express my support for the Gotham Knights. Sadly it wasn't to be the Gotham Knight's day, and Sydney ended up winning the cup.

With the games now over, I had time to reflect and really consider just how special the Bingham Cup is. The fact that the event is an inclusive tournament for people who want a chance to not only enjoy their favourite sport, but to do it without fear of ugly encounters and ignorance is a massive factor of course, but all I could take away from the contest was the overwhelming feel of community, friendship and pride. I am still very new to the gay community and its inbuilt politics, having only been playing with the Berserkers for less than a year at this point, but I was lucky to be able to take part in an event that welcomes all. On multiple occasions, I'd just start chatting with people about how their games had gone, commiserate when it had gone badly and compliment when it had gone well. During my time as a young rugby player in my teens, I had attended tournaments, but nothing on this scale and certainly nothing with such a positive atmosphere.

At the closing ceremony, the atmosphere was similarly triumphant and jovial, and while being trapped in a space with hundreds of other people and insufficient air-con was a personal nightmare of mine, it was very nice to see the teams receive their prizes and watch my team-mates dance away. The music left a lot to be desired, but I do recall laughing heartily at a music video on the screen that depicted a romance between men on the rugby pitch. It looked like the most ridiculously contrived porn movie set-up I've ever seen. I recall reading the phrase "Rugby is my sexy time" and I would love to share some of the comical but SFW video, but I am only willing to google it and when I couldn't find a reference to it, I refused to dig any deeper. Suffice it to say that it was ridiculous, hilarious and I don't recall the video actually involving much rugby at all.

The Stockholm Berserkers Enjoy A Little Dancing

Day 7 - "Oh yeah, we're on holiday, aren't we?"

I have often joked with Kara that when we go on holiday, I am not a good person to go with if you want to relax. Ever conscious of time constraints, opening hours and Kara's tendency to wilt in hot weather, I become a timekeeper. Some kind of militant tour-guide, dragging Kara onto public transport in 30 degree heat, so that we can visit a historic site or a museum. On our last proper day in Amsterdam, I was so very glad to not be steering our particular ship. Our Bingham events committee had arranged a nice little outing later in the afternoon.

Back on the bus, we headed into town and piled off next to one of Amsterdam's quaysides. Nursing our injured players down the steep steps, we all climbed aboard one of the tour-boats and I made sure I found myself next to an open window to keep me cool. As we took off down the waterways, I was soothed by the happy, cheerful chatter of my teammates and friends as we took in the sights. Between the many bridges, slanted houses and lavish looking townhouses, I enjoyed a historical tour of Amsterdam. I even saw the site of the Guerilla Games studio, from the boat, but I was too slow to snap a photo.

Before the drinking started. The smiles would remain, but my belief in their ability to stand next to the canal without falling in was tested afterwards.

After our peaceful drift through Amsterdam's waterways, we disembarked and travelled onwards until we found ourselves at "De Biertuin Prinsengracht"; our venue for the Kangaroo court that evening. As we entered, I was very confident that the beer connoisseurs in the team would enjoy what was on offer. I bought myself an Old Mout passion fruit cider, if for no other reason than it was the only alcoholic thing in the place that I would drink that didn't cost 9 euros. Hanging out with the entire team for so long in peaceful conditions felt very strange, after almost a week of shouting commands at training, screaming support from the touchlines and marshaling people for buses. This surreal peace and quiet was not to last, though.

After our dinner, Andrew, Ritson and myself looked over the charges that were to be brought for the Kangaroo court while Danny disappeared to get into character (and costume). Despite being one of the more vocal and confident rugby players out on the field and at training, Mr Ritson has a fear of public speaking. This meant that he was our best pick for defense lawyer. As with most kangaroo courts, the charges listed varied drastically in scope and severity. They included but were by no means limited to...

Fashion faux-pais. (Especially harsh, considering the judge's taste for socks and sandals.)
Showing off knowledge of the Dutch language.
Having the gall to leave early to attend a graduation.
For being injured. (Some of these injuries were received months in advance of the tour.)
Mentioning football at any time.
Phoning loved ones back home at any time.
Drinking daiquiries.

Yours truly was given the role of prosecution, and as nervous as Ritson was about being a defense lawyer, I had to point at people with game-ending injuries and tell them they were selfish assholes for getting themselves injured. Fortunately, I think I found just the right level of sass, and was able to keep it jovial without letting anyone off the hook. Oddly enough, I think I was the one who got away with the most, especially after having given Kara my hair-clip on her birthday, as she had lost hers.

Most of the punishments involved drinking copious amounts of beer and shots, but some of the non-drinkers received forfeits of ridiculous costumes, including a purply pink plastic wig for Kara, a clown mask for Linnéa with her clown phobia, and a fetching "cock-nose" pair of novelty glasses for Izzy. As the night went on and people drank their forfeits, the pantomime began to take hold, and the volume rose to a point where the bar staff had to ask us to keep it down. A task that we didn't really do a great job with.

Kara makes me wear her forfeit wig as it was irritating her, and Ezther tells me to look "fabulous". I don't disappoint.

After the Kangaroo court was settled, we spread throughout the bar, forming pockets of Berserkers, chatting away and challenging each other to drinking competitions. In another moment of reflection, I looked around the bar and noticed that there wasn't a single group that I wouldn't happily join in with. Once again, I was struck by the realisation that the Berserkers are truly something special. A team that once started as a gay men's team back in 2011, I was lucky to have joined a group of friends who are truly accepting of everyone. Regardless of sexual orientation, race or gender, everyone is welcome to play rugby with us. Hell, you don't even need to have played a sport before. It was in this mindset of merry wonder that I spent the night, surrounded by friends I've known for less than a year, but have a bond with that was forged in teamwork, making us close in a way that is difficult to find amongst most social groups, even within sport.

The team take the tram home after our final night in Amsterdam.

As the night went on and people got more chatty, I was lucky enough to get an opportunity to sit and chat some of our players. I found myself letting them know how happy I was to see them perform on the field, as well as expressing my excitement at the prospect of where their rugby careers might go. We have some tremendous talent in the team, and I was keen to point out individual moments of skill, determination or bravery amongst the players I've been coaching. I was also far too sober to be receiving any sort of kind remark in return, but that didn't stop some of my teammates who seemed to be oblivious or actively delight in how uncomfortable it made me. All in all, I really felt the love in the room that night, and it's a set of memories that I hope will never leave me.

It was a trip that was both physically and mentally draining, but I'm already excited to do it again with this amazing group of people.

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Bingham Cup 2018 - Amsterdam