Rugby: Bermuda To Face Harvard On Sunday
Bermuda head coach Jamie Barnwell has announced a 27-man squad for the opening warm-up game against Harvard.
Barnwell has name eight uncapped players in the squad, with Jake Krige, James Coulton, Greg Palmer, Dzzuri Gill, Isiah Rickards, Johnny Barnes and James Annandale along with Police teammate Cornell Greyling to feature against Harvard and/or Old Blue in the two warmup games leading up to Easter.
Lock Peter Dunkerley of Renegades and Outside Half Dan Cole of Police will captain Bermuda on Sunday, March 8th, when they play Harvard at the National Stadium. Scrumhalf Tom Healy and No.8 Jamie Baum, both of Renegades Rugby have been named as vice-captains.
Left wing Nigel Burgess returns to the squad, while Conor McGlynn of Teachers will fill the position of hooker.
“We have completed our three weeks of pre-season training and now we have moved into four weeks of two warm up games ahead of the Cayman match,” Barnwell remarked. “Our focus has now changed to creating a game that will stand up to the rigors of the ARC tournament where we may have to play three games in eight days.”
Peter Dunkerley added, “We have turned our focus to tactically how we want to play the game, what we want to look like in attack and how we want to play with ball in hand. We want to be adaptable and we keep on challenging ourselves in training to do that.”
The visiting team from Boston’s prestigious Harvard Business School is comprised of players and staff, with a mixture of players from the US, Belgium, France, Canada, Jordan and the UK.
Bermuda also announced the first female team manager of the Men’s National Rugby Team. Amy Dingley Jones, a History, Politics and Humanities teacher at BHS, will be tasked with “continuing to build a winning culture in the team.”
Of her new role, Dingley Jones commented, “As a Welsh person, rugby is more than a game, it’s in my blood. Therefore to be asked to be the first female to be the manager of the Bermuda National Rugby team is the greatest honor of my life so far.
“Having grown up in a small town in Wales which has produced amazing rugby players such as Stephen Jones and Ken Owens, to be asked to do this job in such an amazing country that I am lucky enough to live in and call home is beyond a fantastic opportunity.
“Having been on the island for 5 months I have experienced nothing but positivity from the Bermudian people, therefore I look forward to working with the squad further. I have always been interested in sport and as an experienced netball coach I’ve been involved in lots of setups from school to regional level to national finals.
“Since arriving on the island I have coached the under 16 team at Bermuda High School and the senior All-Stars Netball winning team. I’ve also liaised closely with PE departments of the schools I’ve worked at whilst also teaching History, Politics, and Humanities. I have experience managing numerous sports teams including field hockey and cricket.
“As a volunteer, I look forward to working with Jamie Barnwell, his coaching team and the players in order to capitalize on the success of winning the Caribbean Cup Final last year. This is a great time for rugby on the island and I am privileged to be involved with the set up.
“As my full time job is a teacher at Bermuda High School for Girls it makes this opportunity bigger than me managing the Bermuda Men’s team; but instead to highlight to the girls I teach, that even if a woman has not done the job before doesn’t mean that she cannot lead the way for the future.”
The game will kick off at 2pm at National Stadium, North Field.
