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The following article was posted in The Nassau Guardian as the countdown to the Under-19 Rugby Championships and the Caribbean Rugby Championships for Women continues.
Next week is expected to be a rough and tumbling one for the Bahamas Rugby Football Union (BRFU). The association is making its final preparation to host two major tournaments, the Under-19 Rugby Championships and the Caribbean Rugby Championships for Women. Both are scheduled to start this Saturday at the Winton Rugby Pitch and conclude on Saturday, August 21.
With the association being just a few hours away from kick-off, the attention is being shifted to the two local teams. Elystan Miles, event coordinator, confirmed that everything is in place and ready to go for Saturday. As far as the teams are concerned, Miles noted that both squads are confident are ready despite the lack of exposure and pre-tournament play.
Miles said “These tournaments are very important to us. This is a big deal for the association because this is the first time we are playing in this tournament and we have never had a women’s team before. It is two separate events but they are being hosted the same time. The women’s event is the Caribbean Rugby Championships so we can boast, if we win, that we are the best in the Caribbean.
The under-19 squad did compete in a friendly tournament in the Cayman Islands last year. According to Miles, the team had a pretty good showing against the more experienced Cayman Islands squad. Miles believes that the Cayman Islands under-19 team is one of the strongest in that age group in the Caribbean. The 3:00 p.m. game set for Saturday between The Bahamas and the Cayman Islands is going to be the biggest test for Team Bahamas, Miles explained.
The second match for Team Bahamas will be on Monday, at 3:00 p.m. against Bermuda. The Bahamas, the Cayman Islands and Bermuda will play in Group I while Mexico, Barbados, and Trinidad and Tobago will play in the second group. Two games will be played every day. In the women’s competition, The Bahamas will take to the field against Canada, the United States, the Cayman Islands and a select squad from the Caribbean.
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