Pacific Pride Unveil Squad for 2025-26 Fall Season
IslandStats.com
Pacific Pride aka Rugby Canada Academy, have announced their playing roster for the fall portion of the 2025-26 season, featuring a dynamic squad of 29 players including Jamin Hodgkins, the squad also includes five promising Under-20 talents.
Hodgkins would be a good candidate to get some Canada ‘A’ game time on his pathway to the senior team.
This selection marks a crucial step for aspiring rugby players aiming for the next level, with some expected to transition to Major League Rugby (MLR) in the spring season. The fluid nature of the squad also means new faces may join for the latter half of the season.
As of August 2025, the Pride's schedule is taking shape, with their opening match set for September 13th at UVic. This fixture will be an early test for the new squad and an opportunity for players to impress.
Wednesday, September 10, 2025
Bermuda Beckons for Rugby Coach Jason Hendrie
IslandStats.com
Going from being head coach of an Arnold Clark East Region League Division 1 side to taking charge of a national rugby team isn’t exactly a career path well trodden but it’s a move about to be made by Borderer Jason Hendrie according to By Darin Hutson from Southern Reporter.
Ignoring the advice of “don’t go too near” dispensed by US singer Barry Manilow in his 1981 single Bermuda Triangle, Selkirk’s Jason Hendrie is heading for the British overseas territory after landing a three-year contract as head of their rugby union.
The former Selkirk first-XV and A-team center or winger has been rugby development officer at Dalkeith since 2023 and was also head coach at the Midlothian club for four years before moving on to Arnold Clark Premiership outfit Kelso this summer as backs coach.
The 39-year-old, previously a painter and decorator for 20-plus years, has never been to Bermuda, his interview for his new job having been conducted by video-link, and hasn’t worked outwith Scotland before, so he’s looking forward to the challenge ahead and the sunnier weather on offer 3,800 miles south-west in the North Atlantic Ocean island group.
“I’d seen the job advertised online after one of my friends pointed it out and I decided to give it a go and put my CV in,” he said.
“I’ve never been to Bermuda and I’m definitely looking forward to a bit of heat now the weather’s getting colder in this country. I believe the temperatures there are in the top end of the 20s and into the mid-30s C, so that’s exactly where you’d want to be in October and November.
“I think it takes eight hours to fly to Bermuda so that’s definitely a bigger commute than the hour it takes me to get from Selkirk to Dalkeith at the minute.”
Currently awaiting a work visa being processed and expecting to take up his new role at the end of this month or early in October, he’s also setting his sights on improving the Bermudan national team’s world ranking of 74th out of 113, 66 places below that of his homeland side.
“We’re hoping to improve on that,” he said. “We’ve got a five-year plan to raise that.
“At the minute, a lot of the national team play outside the territory, so having any kind of training is hard.
“I’m going to help with a lot of the performance side of things with the national team and their sevens, women’s and under-19s teams, but I’ll be trying to grow the game as much as possible as well.
“I’ll be working a lot in schools, helping to upskill coaches, so standards become higher, basically trying to create more of a pathway for kids on the islands with aspirations to play for their national team.
“At the minute, a lot of them get scholarships at colleges or universities in England or America, so they lose a lot of players. We’ll be trying to make sure there’s a steady flow of quality talent coming through on the island as well.”
One of the challenges Hendrie will be up against is that rugby isn’t anything like as big a part of life in Bermuda as it is in his native Borders but he’s hoping to encourage more youngsters to get involved.
“It’s probably way down the pecking order in sport,” he said. “Cricket, football and athletics are the three main sports on the island.
Saturday, July 12, 2025
Bermuda U19s Claim Fifth Place at RAN Tournament
IslandStats.com
After an eventful first two days of pool play at the 2025 Rugby Americas North (RAN) Men’s U19 XVs Tournament in Mexico, Bermuda and Trinidad & Tobago, both having experienced close matches earlier in the competition, squared off in the 5th Place Final.
It was Bermuda who emerged with a dominant performance, securing a convincing 36-7 victory. The Bermudians established their authority in the first half, with Rowan Stewart, Michael Barclay, and Jahkeel Smith all crossing the try line. Brandon Sangster added two crucial conversions, helping Bermuda to a comfortable 19-0 lead at the break.
The second half saw Bermuda continue their offensive prowess. Further tries from Ramsey Souter and Jahkeel Smith extended their lead, and Sangster added another conversion to seal the comprehensive win.
The result provides a positive end to the tournament for the young Bermudian squad, who will take confidence from this strong showing as they look ahead to future competitions.
Thursday, July 10, 2025
Bermuda U19s Grab First RAN Victory in Mexico
IslandStats.com
Bermuda's Under-19 Men's Rugby team finally broke their duck at the 2025 Rugby Americas North (RAN) Men’s U19 XVs Tournament in Mexico, securing a hard-fought 10-7 victory over Trinidad in their third match of the competition.
It took 16 minutes for Bermuda to get on the scoreboard, with Osiris Buffonge-Hunt crashing over for their opening try of the tournament. The first half saw a tight contest, but Bermuda managed to hold their lead heading into the break.
Early in the second half, Bermuda doubled their advantage with another crucial try, looking to put some clear daylight between themselves and Trinidad. However, Trinidad quickly responded with a try of their own, adding the conversion to narrow the gap to just three points. With the clock winding down, Bermuda dug deep and held firm, ultimately securing their first win of the tournament with a final score of 10-7.
Later in the day, Bermuda were back on the pitch to face Jamaica in what proved to be another challenging encounter. Despite their earlier victory, Bermuda found it tough going against a strong Jamaican side, eventually falling to a 26-3 defeat.
Bermuda concludes their Pool Play campaign with a record of one win and three defeats. While it's been a tough tournament, the victory against Trinidad will undoubtedly provide a significant boost for the young squad.
Wednesday, July 09, 2025
Bermuda U19 Face Early Setbacks at RAN XVs Tournament
IslandStats.com
Bermuda’s Under-19 Men’s Rugby team endured a tough start to their 2025 Rugby Americas North (RAN) Men’s U19 XVs Tournament campaign, falling to defeats in both of their opening matches on Day One.
The tournament, hosted by Federación Méxicana de Rugby at FC Total, saw Bermuda, ranked second coming into the event based on last year's performance, face a challenging schedule from the outset.
In their opening match against the host nation, Mexico, Bermuda fell by a score of 10-0. Despite their strong regional ranking, the Bermudians were unable to breach the Mexican defence, succumbing to a disciplined home side.
Bermuda then faced the Cayman Islands in their second match of the day. Unfortunately for the islanders, they were once again kept scoreless, as they were defeated 22-0. This result marks a difficult start for the team, as they look to build momentum and improve their standings in the pool play.
The RAN Men’s U19 XVs Tournament features a pool play format across Wednesday and Thursday, with 40-minute matches, before culminating in 70-minute finals on Saturday. Bermuda will need to regroup swiftly as they face Trinidad & Tobago and Jamaica on Thursday, aiming to turn their fortunes around in this critical regional competition.
