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Wednesday, August 05, 2026
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Difficult Opening Day at RAN U19 Championship
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Bermuda’s Men’s Under-19 National Rugby team endured a tough opening day at the 2026 Rugby Americas North (RAN) Men’s Under-19 XVs Championship in Querétaro, Mexico, recording back-to-back defeats against high-caliber opposition.
Returning to FC Total for the regional tournament, Bermuda faced a daunting double-header on Wednesday.
The team opened their campaign against a formidable College Rugby Association of America (CRAA) side, suffering a heavy 55-0 defeat in a clinical performance from the American outfit.
Bermuda showed immediate resilience in their second match of the day against host nation Mexico, taking an early 5-0 lead to stun the home crowd.
However, Mexico quickly reasserted control, responding with 23 unanswered points to claim a 23-5 victory and leave Bermuda searching for their first win of the championship.
Bermuda return to action on Thursday as they look to bounce back in matches against Jamaica and the Cayman Islands.
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Monday, August 03, 2026
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Bermuda to Play in RAN Men’s U-19 XVs Championship
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Bermuda’s Men’s Under-19 national team will return to Querétaro, Mexico, this week to compete in the 2026 Rugby Americas North Men’s Under-19 XVs Championship, being held at FC Total from August 5th to 8th.
The 19-player squad will be captained by Dylan Sangster, with Nyindae Smith and Dante Noel-Simmons serving as vice-captains.
Bermuda will face a demanding opening day on Wednesday, August 5th, beginning against the United States at 9:00 a.m. before taking on host nation Mexico at noon. The team returns to action on Thursday, August 6th, against Jamaica at noon and the Cayman Islands at 4:00 p.m. Finals Day will take place on Saturday, August 8th.
Dylan Sangster, Bermuda U19 Captain, commented on the upcoming competition, “I’m very excited to return to Mexico for this year’s tournament. The squad looks different, as it does every year, but the boys have built strong confidence and chemistry throughout our preparations. We know the USA will provide a very tough test in our opening match, but I have every confidence in this group. I back the boys, and we’re ready to represent Bermuda with pride.”
Co-Head Coach Chris Naylor said the young squad is excited about the challenge ahead, “We are really looking forward to the tournament. This is a young group, with nine players making their debut at this level, although a couple of those newcomers are already 19. We are excited to see the new talent coming into the squad and the impact they can make.
“We have an extremely tough start. Based on last year’s ranking, we open against the USA, which will be a major challenge, and it does not get any easier with host nation Mexico immediately afterwards.
“Our senior players, particularly captain Dylan Sangster and vice-captains Nyindae Smith and Dante Noel-Simmons, will need to step up, lead from the front and help guide the younger members of the squad.
“The boys have trained well, and I am confident that we can go to Mexico, express ourselves and play some good rugby.”
Bermuda Rugby President, Gemma Godfrey, said the annual championship remains a vital part of the national player-development pathway.
“This competition is one of the highlights of our calendar each year and an important part of the pathway for our developing players. It gives young men progressing through the upper end of Broncos Rugby, schools’ rugby and the Beyond Rugby programme the opportunity to come together as one Bermuda team and test themselves against high-quality opposition from across the region.
“We have a great deal of young talent coming through. Given the size of our island, the fact that Bermuda can enter a team in this competition and compete against much larger countries, many of which have significantly broader youth pathways and greater exposure to the game, says a tremendous amount about our rugby community.
“It reflects the commitment of our volunteer coaches, many of whom are parents giving up their evenings and weekends, as well as all those who continue to give so much of themselves to support the game.
The tournament will also mark the first use at this competition of Rugby Americas North’s 2026 Tackle Height Law Variation. In open-field play, tacklers must make contact below the base of the ball-carrier’s sternum, an initiative intended to reduce the risk of head-to-head and shoulder-to-head contact.
BERMUDA MEN’S UNDER-19 SQUAD
Asher Wheddon
Benjamin Wells
Matthews Pagan
Thomas Wells
Jahir Smith Mora
Michael Barclay
Nyindae Smith (Vice-Captain)
Dante Noel-Simmons (Vice-Captain)
Henry Kerr
Dylan Sangster (Captain)
Jahkeel Smith
Marc Piney
Rowan Stewart
Teddy Manders
Michael Tadman
Mathias Gerber
Edward Tadman
Jaden Obas-Simons
Genesis Payne
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Saturday, July 04, 2026
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Bermuda Run in Ten Tries to Overwhelm Cayman Islands
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Bermuda 67 Cayman Island 32
A devastating attacking display saw the Bermuda Women’s National Rugby team run in ten tries to secure a spectacular 67-32 victory over the Cayman Islands in a breathless encounter at the National Sports Center North Field.
In a match that produced a staggering 99 points, the hosts proved too hot to handle, combination play and clinical finishing blowing away the visiting Caymanian defense.
From the opening whistle, Bermuda’s intent was clear. The hosts dominated the breakdown and utilized their blistering pace out wide, led by a player-of-the-match performance from Najee Pitt-Clarke.
Pitt-Clarke was in unstoppable form, slicing through the Cayman defensive line to register a superb hat-trick of tries.
She was brilliantly supported by the duo of Cat Morris and Heidi Groves, who both harassed the visitors' backline all afternoon to cross the whitewash twice each.
While the star names grabbed the multi-try headlines, Bermuda's victory was built on total squad depth. Sarah Cross, Lysmeire Santana, Camille Chin-Gurret, and Akila Craig all capped off fine team moves by scoring a try apiece.
Bermuda were equally clinical with the boot, ensuring maximum damage was inflicted on the scoreboard. Santana proved instrumental from the tee, slotting four conversions, while Groves and Cross added one apiece to put the game completely out of reach.
The visiting Cayman Islands team played their part in a highly entertaining spectacle, capitalizing on momentary lapses in the host's defense to register 32 points of their own. However, they simply had no answer to Bermuda's relentless firepower, as the local fans were treated to a memorable afternoon of running rugby.
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Friday, July 03, 2026
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Bermuda & Cayman Islands Renew Regional Rivalry
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The historic rivalry between Bermuda and the Cayman Islands takes center stage once again this Saturday as the two nations clash in a highly anticipated women’s international rugby fixture.
Bermuda's Senior Women's National team will welcome their Caribbean neighbors to the National Sports Centre North Field, aiming to leverage home advantage in front of a passionate local crowd.
For Bermuda, it represents a massive opportunity to showcase the growth of the women's game on home soil and secure vital regional bragging rights.
The match kicks off at 4:00 pm.
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Tuesday, June 23, 2026
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Injury Heartbreak ends Hodgkins' debut Australian Season
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Bermudian rugby prospect Jamin Hodgkins has seen his debut campaign in Australia brought to a premature and heartbreaking end, after a persistent groin and hip injury ruled him out for the remainder of the season.
The talented fly-half had been enjoying a high-stakes stint in Sydney's prestigious Shute Shield Premier Division, turning out for the Manly Marlins.
However, Hodgkins revealed the extent of his injury setback to local digital sports platform islandstats.com, explaining that the physical toll of competing in one of the world's most grueling club rugby environments had finally caught up with him.
"I am having some groin and hip issues that are going to keep me out for the season," Hodgkins told islandstats.com. "I picked it up in Round 1 and had been playing through it, but it just got to be too much."
The news comes as a bitter blow for both the player and the Marlins. Managing to play through the pain barrier since the opening weekend of the competition is a testament to the playmaker's grit, but the medical decision to shut down his campaign ensures he can focus fully on long-term rehabilitation.
Having transitioned to the southern hemisphere to test his tactical kicking and distribution against elite, hard-hitting Australian talent, Hodgkins' focus will now shift off the pitch as he looks to rest, recover, and reset ahead of next season.
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