Sponsorship in rugby is an absolute necessity for the persistence of the sport, especially in the United States, where it inhabits an even lower tier on the public perception scale than soccer, polo, and figure skating.  Despite the efforts of some to promote the sport in America, it is still a dim glow in the public eye.  There is not much assistance forthcoming from the National Union either.  With all its efforts focused on improving the quality of the Super League and high-profile teams from big-market cities, and thus improving the quality of the USA National Team, the National Union has little time for grass roots promotion of local or even regional clubs and unions.  Thus it falls to those individual clubs and unions to see to their own survival.

What this means is that individual clubs have to go to the streets with tin cups in hand.  But sponsorship is a difficult thing for a rugby club to obtain.  The reputation of the sport, especially in America - where the image of beer-swilling hooligans romping to a deranged and sociopathic beat endure despite concerted efforts to expunge that perception once and for all, keeps some sponsors away.  The lack of return on their investment, for even in international rugby there is very little exposure for sponsors outside of individual club or union events, keeps others from donating.  But rugby clubs in America run almost solely on the gratuity of sponsors and on the dues paid by its members.  If a club experiences problems recruiting and its member base dwindles, so too does its chances for survival.

Many clubs organize tournaments to help defray the costs of their annual expenses, such as union dues, referee fees, banquet organization, and so on, and many of these tournaments are successful enough to keep a club's head above the fiscal waters.  But sponsor assistance, in the form of money or gifts or services, is still almost required.  Over the years, the Binghamton Barbarians have seen their membership wane and wax, and have held an annual tournament since 1990, yet still, every year, the club experiences the same financial crunch many others feel.  Yet the Barbarians endure, primarily because members always seem to appear when we need them the most, Old Boys and long-time members continue to display loyalty in all forms to the club, and because a few consistent sponsors have continued to support the team year in and year out with money and services for both regular season and tournament.  This page is here to recognize those businesses and individuals that have provided - and continue to provide - the Binghamton Barbarians with the means with which to subsist.

We thank the following organizations and individuals for their assistance, in both money and services, in keeping a 30-year presence in community sports alive and kicking...