Comments on: Bermuda Win Caribbean Rugby Championship

By: BermyRugbyfan

BermyRugbyfan — Tue, 28 Jun 2011 20:54:39 +0000

AGREED!!!

By: Hmmnnn

Hmmnnn — Mon, 27 Jun 2011 16:17:29 +0000

There have been how many successful Bermudian football players? Rugby is becoming a huge sport worldwide! you shouldn’t be downsizing this sport, it promotes discipline! Something that is beneficial to ANY young boy and girl! It’s obvious that there is a variety in rugby tours, it’s easier to get scholarships for rugby because it’s still up and coming. It opens young people up to the world and the ability to represent their home, being an ex-pat does not mean Bermuda is not their home.
You really should do your research before making comments like this! You really would be surprised at how great this sport is!

By: Just sayin...

Just sayin... — Sat, 25 Jun 2011 19:15:26 +0000

How much funding could this team get..?

Randy… Interested in hearing your thoughts on appropriate funding for the following, 100% Bermudian Team…

1. Ed Barnes
2. Tank Greenslade
3. Alan Steynor
4. Aldo Campbell
5. Bobby Hurdle
6. Darren Richardson
7. Kris Furbert
8. Gareth Williams
9. Shauntino Simons
10. Tom Edwards
11. Andre Landy
12. Steve Husbands
13. David Lunn
14. Neville Zuill
15. Jack Ellison

16. Jamie Billings
17. Nick Chilvers
18. Nick West
19. Scott Brown
20. Kai Edwards
21. Patrick Richardson
22. Chris Godfrey

By: Sean Field-Lament

Sean Field-Lament — Sat, 25 Jun 2011 13:06:22 +0000

Well said Church!
Firstly Congratulations!
As a former player who represented Bermuda in rugby for over 18 years it is indeed a joy to see the island return to being Caribbean Champions.I am very proud of the Bermuda National rugby teams. The fact that Bermuda is Caribbean Champion at two different ages levels at the same time speaks volumes to the growing depth of the sport. It also highlights the achievements and tireless effort of a small group of highly dedicated coaches. Well done to all invloved and keep the wonderful game of rugby a live in our country!

By: Devrae

Devrae — Sat, 25 Jun 2011 12:37:10 +0000

First let me say Congradulations to my national team Teammates for an excellent job and fight for winning the championship….feels righteous!!! Congradulations to Church and his coaching staff for helping the massive achievements of the Bermuda U19 Rugby team award to receive the BEST Team award in the Bermuda Sports awards. Randy n Dave one thing I will tell you which will settle the nieveness in your mind when it comes too sport. Every bermudian born has achieved his international exposure through foreign help whether it be in the form of Coaches, John Beard…trainers Nick Jones helping Shawn Gota, Kyle Lightbourne…David Bascome college level! I have been on national teams with all 3 of these players. The point is these Bermudian/ex-pat players and coaches ALL train and play under 1 Flag with self funding and achieve amazing success! Why do you think some of our TOP track n Field atheletes dont even train in Bermuda, (swimming,track n field). I have represented Bermuda in rugby for the last 11years playing, bleeding next to guys that all want to achieve 1 thing… to hold up that trophy for BERMUDA!!! So dont worry you can have your opinion but we dont need you to come to our events…we dont need security at our local events for violence in the stands…our youth see all the senior players do amazing things and show our respect to those that volunteer to referee, not like in Cricket were players have just been suspended for attacking the umpire after the game. No we are fine and we will be fine. The rugby world doesn’t need your approval nor your support. Our gratitude is watching our children be successful through STRENGTH DISCIPLINE and RESPECT.

By: Anthony cupidore (under 19 coach)

Anthony cupidore (under 19 coach) — Sat, 25 Jun 2011 00:33:15 +0000

Wasn’t going to comment. We’ve done it dispite not having a field, funding or the support of most of our own country men. I teach it in the schools, the youth coming through are awesome and we are a power house in all age groups now. Negativity and ‘ talk’ will never hold us back. “Important sport” , ha we already are. I saw my boys both black and white receive sports awards. The Premier congratulated us and thanked me. Nuff said.

By: so what?

so what? — Fri, 24 Jun 2011 17:21:00 +0000

I suppose there are no ex-pats involved in that tournament? How many people do you think come for the Rugby classic given that entire teams and their coaches and friends and family all come to the island?

By: so what?

so what? — Fri, 24 Jun 2011 17:17:10 +0000

How Much money doesn DOT put into the classic? Corporate Bermuda is still money being spent in Bermuda. They spend a ton of money each year. As far as foreigners coming in…there are tons of people in the hotels what are you talking about? All the teams and their supports and family and friends stay in hotels and spend a whole lot of money in the bars all week. I’m not saying that the Clyde Best tournament doesnt deserve to be supported all I’m saying is that Rugby does. How is saying that the classic bringing in revenue is nonsense?

By: Gary

Gary — Fri, 24 Jun 2011 16:41:22 +0000

It’s public knowledge that the rugby classic has been funded by the Department of Tourism and Corporate Bermuda. Please stop with the nonsense about revenue. The little Clyde Best tournament in its first year generated 375 paying visitors to this island and with little to no sponsorship support.

By: Dave

Dave — Fri, 24 Jun 2011 16:38:04 +0000

Your comments don’t come as a suprise, Me. Apologist have always been the bane of our existence. Randy is allowed to voice his opinion, one that many folks in this country share. So why don’t we agree to disagree and move on!

By: Dave

Dave — Fri, 24 Jun 2011 16:34:35 +0000

Because you say its rubbish doesn’t mean that it is. Any unbiased sport fan would agree with randy. Clearly you don’t fall into that category.

By: randy

randy — Fri, 24 Jun 2011 15:16:02 +0000

You will never , ever be an important sport in this country.. Just the way it is boys,, Get over it…

By: Rugbyfan

Rugbyfan — Fri, 24 Jun 2011 14:49:58 +0000

When or if the government gives some funding to Bermuda Rugby, the organizational structure and volunteer support will be ruined by some bureaucratic government worker appointed to run Bermuda Rugby with the money the government has spent to fund this National sport.

Mark my words, government funding will only hurt Bermuda rugby through their direct involvement. Leave it be and continue to prosper through hard work and member raised funds. Private success is all the sweeter!

Congratulations Bermuda Rugby teams on your great successes.

By: Just a thought

Just a thought — Fri, 24 Jun 2011 13:05:21 +0000

By this comment should the BCB have lost funding when they selected Saleem Mukuddem (a South African)?

By: Neyo

Neyo — Fri, 24 Jun 2011 04:20:39 +0000

Well said Lennie, it is comments like joonya’s that hinder social progress. it was once thought that books and reading was for white boys too….

By: Neyo

Neyo — Fri, 24 Jun 2011 04:16:43 +0000

why does color even matter, BERMUDIANS play rugby.

By: Neyo

Neyo — Fri, 24 Jun 2011 04:09:26 +0000

ON THIS PARTICULAR TEAM, this is the second away game in less than a month and it is happening at a time when many people simply cannot get the time off of work. There are times when over half the team would be Bermuda born, also please please please look at the U19 team in about 3 years time it would be quite possible that the entire team could potentially be Bermuda born since that is so important to you, (i don’t understand why Bermudian born matters so much? living in a country and representing that country as a way to give back seems like fair and just compensation, not to mention that these ‘ex pats’ coach, tutor, teach and mentor our youth keeping them off the street, just like any other sport on the island)

The fact of the matter is every player in that blue jersey is BERMUDIAN playing for BERMUDA, playing for pride and playing for the players next to him….
In sports, that is all that matters

By: Neyo

Neyo — Fri, 24 Jun 2011 03:53:07 +0000

bermuda has to face those teams as well buddy…..google NACRA and tell me what teams are in it.

By: Neyo

Neyo — Fri, 24 Jun 2011 03:49:44 +0000

Kai Edwards, Neville Zuill, Shauntino Simmons, Darren Richardson, Scott Brown, Stevie Husbands…. Not every player can travel all the time or play every game you have to make room for cost, injuries and work/family commitments. Hence the need for funding, the younger players cannot always afford to travel two or three times a year when they have to pay out of their own pockets

By: the future Mrs Gareth Williams

the future Mrs Gareth Williams — Fri, 24 Jun 2011 01:42:42 +0000

If I was female, and single, i wouldn’t hesitate to buy Mr Williams a steak dinner. He looks sublime and the tape makes his eyes pop.

By: Me

Me — Fri, 24 Jun 2011 01:38:55 +0000

how the hell does race come into this. i apologize to the ex-pats and the bermuda rugby team who are reading this. randy does not speak for all of us and he is is embarrassing the ‘majority of our population’.

By: agree with Onion

agree with Onion — Fri, 24 Jun 2011 01:34:31 +0000

hear hear old Onion, hear hear

By: fan of tank

fan of tank — Fri, 24 Jun 2011 01:33:06 +0000

when recently having a drink with Tank, he mentioned Pantene and that he only conditions on Monday night … right after the Bachelorette.

And you know what, he can get away with it cause he is an animal on the rugby pitch!

By: enough already

enough already — Fri, 24 Jun 2011 01:25:58 +0000

randy, were you hugged as a child?

By: enough already

enough already — Fri, 24 Jun 2011 01:23:41 +0000

randy, don’t blame us all for you chosing a sport that you didn’t excel at … even in a country ranked lower than in burundi … is that even a country?

By: marquisha

marquisha — Fri, 24 Jun 2011 01:19:41 +0000

randy what a load of absolute rubbish

By: shanika

shanika — Fri, 24 Jun 2011 01:17:53 +0000

randy is prob just a fat unemployed privileged tool who has nothing better to do than give his short-sighted stupid opinion on things he knows nothing about … would love to see you get smashed on the rugby pitch by both bermudian’s and expats … i’m sure all these readers would like that. season starts sep/oct … be there or shut up already

By: As if i'm telling you my name

As if i'm telling you my name — Fri, 24 Jun 2011 01:13:13 +0000

randy, joonya, dave … combined you are just racist (the 90% of the bahama’s side was black, the all blacks are mostly maori … it is not a white man’s sport), ignorant (a country with just 60,000 residents took out 3 nations with populations of 300,000, 107,000,000 and 800,000 and 2 games away from home and at the player’s own expense) and narrow-minded (you so easily discount the incredible wealth expats and their associated industry brings to bermuda).

… what do you offer your country?

the boys created some good sporting news in bermuda for bermudians … get a life

By: randy

randy — Thu, 23 Jun 2011 20:27:10 +0000

Not worried at all about it being an ex pat sport and applaud the fact that you enjoy it…. just can’t support spending tax payers dollars to fund it..

Body aches from battle..wtf is that? Are we talking sport or hand to hand combat?

By: randy

randy — Thu, 23 Jun 2011 20:20:07 +0000

Choosing a sport with minor Bermudian support / involvement is a problem of your own making…

Football was not funded in any significant manner until the PLP took over the govt and those funds were quickly reduced..However the sport flourished because it is a sport that most Bermudian and Non Bermudian children love.. See ABC School at Saltus as a reference…

Football is the number one sport in the world or haven’t you been at Flannagan’s, Robin Hood and the like on a Saturday morning????

By: randy

randy — Thu, 23 Jun 2011 20:12:43 +0000

I can’t deny that cricket and football have been poorly managed in the main, however considerable / forward thinking work was done by the BFA admin from 08 – 21010. No other association, to include Rugby, has been managed as well and again that is a fact!! Ask around if you have doub’ts…

I support funding of youth rugby, however it must be based on numbers of Bermudians involved…

By: Lennie

Lennie — Thu, 23 Jun 2011 19:59:25 +0000

If you are so worried about it being an Expat team, russtle up your mates and come down and give the sport a try. We never turn anyone away. Like that you won’t have anything to complain about except how your body aches from battle

By: enough

enough — Thu, 23 Jun 2011 19:57:57 +0000

You’re very aggressive, lol. I don’t have to get over anything, you’re the one with the issue buddy boy. Football should be funded, cricket should be funded, sailing should be funded, swimming should be funded and rugby should be funded (if I’ve missed some, fund them too). The point you seem incapable of grasping is that Bermudian rugby is ex-pat dominated in no small part because it is not funded. Comprende?
Travelling to play for your born and bread country and paying $1000+ per trip is not something many youngsters, Bermudian or otherwise, can afford.
To your last point, no.

By: enough

enough — Thu, 23 Jun 2011 19:53:02 +0000

Not asking you to fund my involvement, I assume that by that you mean ex-pat involvement. I asked that funding go towards developing rugby, that’s usually aimed at schools and clubs; local schools and local clubs. It wouldn’t bother me one bit if I couldn’t play for Bermuda cos it was rammed full of talented Bermudian players. the tragedy? It could be.

You happy that $25M of your money went to programmes that if left without the funding would have performed about as poorly on the world stage as they did with it?
That funding could have paid for a lot of things that are now being cut in these austere times.
Anyway, you don’t care for rugby or apparently x-pats and that’s an arguement that bores me to tears, so I’ll leave you to it.

By: Lennie

Lennie — Thu, 23 Jun 2011 19:49:12 +0000

I suggest you come down to one of the Under 19′s training sessions to see how ridicilous your comment about Rugby being a white boys sport.
In fact Aldo Campbell who scored Bermuda’s Try is not white and is currently U19 and full internation Caribbean Champion. What have you achieved through sport or anything. Training starts at 5:30 at Whitney Field Thursdays and Tuesdays. Bring Your Boots. I dare you. You might learn respect from a Gentleman’s sport

By: randy

randy — Thu, 23 Jun 2011 19:47:40 +0000

The classic is heavily funded by companies looking for a social outing for their ex pat employees and how many people actually end upo in hotels or spend huge amounts in our restaurants?

The BFF Clyde Best classic was able to entice over 400 players/ coahes and families and friends to the island . They paid full rate.. Fact!!!

By: so what?

so what? — Thu, 23 Jun 2011 19:35:09 +0000

14 are Bermudian. Also I would venture to say that Rugby brings a LOT more money into this island than cricket or football. The Classic every year is massive and actually brings in people from around the globe. But I guess they or their money doesn’t matter as they aren’t Bermudian right? I guess I didnt get the memo that we were a self supporting nation.

By: randy

randy — Thu, 23 Jun 2011 19:17:04 +0000

Yeah but scores go off to university annually on football scholarships and the ranking is significantly impacted by the number of games played or lack of same.

Further, it is Bermuda’s number one sport, played primarily by a race of people that make up the majority of our population. Surely that counts for something and if you don’t think so, then get over it..I make no apologies for that..at all..and no apologies what so ever for not financially supporting Ex Pats playing for Bermuda…

As for quality – I could be wrong as I don’t follow the sport closely, but don’t you routinely get hammered by 50 something year old has beens annually?

By: randy

randy — Thu, 23 Jun 2011 18:00:57 +0000

Goose — Slim to nill and justifiable…Bermuda Govt should not sponsor sports that have participants that are not Bermudian.. Quite simple me thinks..

By: randy

randy — Thu, 23 Jun 2011 17:57:33 +0000

Not knocking your involvement Enough, however don’t support funding your involvement.. Just don’t…

By: randy

randy — Thu, 23 Jun 2011 17:56:07 +0000

9 Bermudians in a squad of 22 and you want Bda to fund this Ex Pat dominated team?? That’s rich!!!

As mentioned by Dave above, you must put this mega achievement in perspective. In short, the countries that were beaten are at the very bottom of the rugby totem pole. Fact!!!

It’s akin to our Bda football team crowing about a win over Cayman and the Bahamas..

By: enough

enough — Thu, 23 Jun 2011 16:25:36 +0000

Oh, and these games abroad cost each player and indeed most of those involved at all, a considerable amount of money. The BRU does help out but, back to funding, without $1000+ from each person travelling for the honour of playing for Bermuda, the Bermuda rugby teams would not travel. End of story.
As an ex-pat, it was with no less pride that I took the field and put my body on the line for the country that has become my home.

By: enough

enough — Thu, 23 Jun 2011 16:21:34 +0000

Great job guys!!

Having played in the 2007 World Cup qualifiers and the 2 IRB sanctioned games in Barbados and Trinidad, I know the massive committment, dedication and hard work it takes whilst working full time.

The squad rightly get the credit, but the manager, coaches and physio (especially for me…lol) do such a massive amount in terms of organising the tours, the training, the kit, just everything to allow the players to concentrate on playing to the best of their potential. They also hold down full time jobs and families etc and their efforts are to be recognised fully. Well done and thank you.

Rugby World Ranking – 51 of 94 teams. Funding…I think $4000 per annum (could be wrong).

I hear the point about rugby being third tier in this region, well we’re among the best of that bunch, consistently. Can’t do better than that. In terms of the world, rugby is first or close second in most of the southern hemisphere and a lot of Europe. For a bunch of rank amateurs, I think that’s impressive.

The point about how many Bermudians were on the team..well, while I won’t pretend to know the point of the person that mentioned that….although I could have a good guess…..well, fund the sport properly and the talent is there, trust me. The guys that play or used to play senior rugby again take time out of their lives to help coach youngsters in schools.

Just for comparison; Football World Ranking – 162 of 202.

By: De Warwick Bye

De Warwick Bye — Thu, 23 Jun 2011 15:57:35 +0000

What is sad about it being thought of as a “white sport” if true is that there several black players such as Kris Furbert, Bobby Hurdle and Devrae Noel-Simmons so that makes no sense to consider it “white”.

By: joonya

joonya — Thu, 23 Jun 2011 15:27:35 +0000

No chance. Rugby is a white boy’s sport.

By: Goose

Goose — Thu, 23 Jun 2011 14:56:10 +0000

Fair few players coming out for Classic this year that were still full internationals for the 2003 and 2007 WC. Reckon that Bermuda football could go out against a team with the likes of Roberto Carlos, Di Biagio and Zidane and scrape any sort of result?

We’re regional champions, beating Bahamas and Mexico before toppling Guyana. Our U-19′s are heading down to defend their championship title next week. Not bad for a sport played by amateurs and administered by volunteers that can’t even claim a pitch as its own.

World Cup qualifiers next year. What are the chances that qualifying for the finals will result in an $11mil cheque from gov’t?

By: Goose

Goose — Thu, 23 Jun 2011 13:45:44 +0000

Oh Garf, modelling career is shot.

By: Single

Single — Thu, 23 Jun 2011 13:29:56 +0000

Well done!

By: 32n64w

32n64w — Thu, 23 Jun 2011 13:20:28 +0000

Congratulations gentlemen.

Shame the PLP Government doesn’t do more to significantly support sports other than cricket and football, especially considering successes like this.

By: Rugby Fan

Rugby Fan — Thu, 23 Jun 2011 13:19:58 +0000

Of the 22 listed, 9 are born and bread Bermudian’s who grew up here, were schooled here and came through the junior rugby ranks (this includes both Aldo & Tommy who scored all the teams points!)

That I know, 4 are spouses of Bermudians who have all been here at least 3 years. The remainder are expats who qualify on residency grounds (i.e. have been resident in Bermuda for at least 3 years)