Bermuda Women's Rugby's have launched a new campaign this week, calling on women of all ages to come meet their 'Inner Warrior'. It features a month-long wave of 'Warrior Camps', taking place at Berkeley Institute on Friday evenings, running from October 19 through to November 9, in a bid to inspire women to take up the game and embark on a new challenge.
Although the campaign is targeted towards local high schools, in particular, young women aged 14+, the Warrior Camps are open to women of all ages and coaches from the Bermuda Women's team are hoping to generate a large turnout for the initiative's first session on Friday.
Gemma Godfrey, Women's Rep for the Bermuda Rugby Football Union, commented:
"The Inner Warrior campaign aims to encourage more women and girls to play contact rugby, teaching participant’s key introductory skills and drills for rugby within a non-committal, fun and social environment. At its core, it's a fun-packed, commitment-free way for females to get outside, get muddy and experience the dynamic, exhilarating sport of rugby for the first time. With plenty of help on hand, our coaches and players will introduce you to the basics of rugby – passing, kicking and tackling, coupled with enjoyable fitness routines – helping you step out of your comfort zone and unearth your Inner Warrior."
The BRFU, as part of its player development pathway, is looking to significantly expand the number of women and girls participating in grassroots rugby in Bermuda and the newly-launched Inner Warrior campaign is hoped to be instrumental in supporting this growth.
Jamie Barnwell, a coach for the Bermuda Women's team, added:
"Rugby is incredibly inclusive, with the range of positions on the pitch requiring different attributes and skills to be played successfully. It encourages women from all backgrounds and physical statures to come together and bond on the field and is a great outlet for women to express themselves and their inner strength through sport.
Rugby also enables participants to develop mental toughness which in turns helps build resilience and self-confidence, furthering their ability to manage the everyday stresses of life."
The sessions are FREE to attend and are taking place on the following days/times:
Fri Oct 19 6pm - 7pm Fri Oct 26 6pm - 7pm Nov 2 6pm - 7pm Nov 9 6pm - 7pm
For more information or to get in touch regarding sessions, contact bermudarugbywomensmanager@gmail.com or visit http://www.brfu.bm.
Wednesday, October 17, 2018
Cross & Worcester Valkyries Go Down
IslandStats.com
Corrie Cross and her Worcester Valkyries teammates slipped to defeat and narrowly missed out on a try bonus point in Round Five of Tyrrells Premier 15s at Sixways.
Meg Varley, Zoe Bennion and Charlie Wilcock scored tries for the Valkyries but the fourth one eluded Roy Davies’ side as they went down 69 – 19 to Harlequins.
Harlequins scored 11 tries with Lucy Pecker, Leanne Riley (2), Jade Mullen, Shaunagh Brown (2), Leah Lyons, Heather Cowell, Emily Scott, Kristine Sommer and Sarah Cornforth getting on the scoresheet.
Four of those tries came in the first 15 minutes with Pecker touching down in the corner and Riley’s brace sandwiching one from Mullen.
Valkyries responded quickly to get themselves back in the game, however.
A tapped penalty took the visitors by surprise as Valkyries advanced up the pitch at great pace. Varley received the ball just inside the 22 before evading a couple of tackles and completing the flowing attack by forcing her way over the tryline.
The visitors, however, regained control after Thea Thompson was yellow-carded for a deliberate knock-on adding two quickfire tries through Brown and Lyons before the break.
Harlequins started the second-half as they had the first with another couple of tries. Brown went over for her second before Cowell was found free on the wing and finished in the corner.
Valkyries recovered well and put the visitors under pressure from the restart and forced a knock-on. From the resulting scrum, Bennion picked and went and was too strong to be stopped from crashing over the tryline.
With the Sixways crowd behind them, Valkyries began to build some momentum and were soon on the scoresheet again.
From an almost identical scrum, Bennion emerged from the back before offloading to Wilcock who battled her way across the whitewash.
This period gave Davies’ side great encouragement, but Quins managed to take control of game back as Scott slipped through the onrushing Valkyries defence to touch down under the posts.
With the game nearing its end, the away side closed the scoring with another double as Kristine Sommer and Sarah Cornforth rounded off a couple of quick breaks.
Tuesday, October 16, 2018
O’Shaughnessy Scores Try in Maastricht Win
IslandStats.com
Teachers Rugby Football player Padraic O’Shaughnessy, studying at the University of Maastricht in the Netherlands, made his debut for the Maastricht Maraboes Rugby Club.
The Club is 40 years old and plays in the Dutch Second Division.
O’Shaughnessy played in his favorite spot of outside center and managed a Try in his team’s 36 - 24 win over Rotterdam Rugby Club.
O’Shaughnessy proudly wore his Teachers Rugby Club Tie to the post-match reception.
Monday, October 15, 2018
Toms & Bedwas Go Down Again
IslandStats.com
A penalty Try separated Brylney Toms and his Bedwas teammates and Cardiff RFC after a low scoring encounter in front of the BBC TV cameras.
Cardiff RFC would edge out a 16 – 14 win over Bedwas.
Heavy rain overnight and during the day left the Bedwas pitch very wet but credit should go the ground staff for their hard work in preparing a quality surface under testing conditions.
Further squally showers during the game influenced the game but they did not prevent Bedwas taking the lead after three minutes as Bedwas full back Joe Scrivens slotted over a penalty from the half way line after Cardiff were penalized for holding on.
It got better for Bedwas two minutes later as a quickly taken tap penalty was moved on by Tom Rowlands to Adam Williams who twisted out of a tackle to dive in at the right hand corner. Joe Scrivens added the extras with a low trajectory kick from the touchline.
Cardiff’s superior size made life difficult for Bedwas at scrum time and a penalty from a collapsed scrum after 19 minutes taken by Steffan Jones reduced the arrears.
The Bedwas defense continued to be on the back foot as barn storming runs by big number 8 Rory Pitman sapped energy from the home tacklers but they held firm and forced Cardiff into errors.
Cardiff battled to get back into the game and forced two penalties after 31 and 35 minutes but Steffan Jones missed both to the relief of the Bedwas faithful. However a third penalty on 37 minutes after Jonathan Armitage was adjudged to have ripped the ball out of a ruck was converted by Jones from twenty meters.
Half time arrived with no further scores and Bedwas held on to a slender lead.
With the wind and rain at their backs Cardiff started the second half strongly.
With three minutes elapsed Cardiff pressure at the scrum paid dividends as the Bedwas scrum disintegrated the referee immediately awarding a penalty try. Ellis Evans who had been on the pitch two minutes was adjudged the guilty party and a yellow card was shown as he was dispatched to the sin bin.
Not long after a precise cross field kick by Chilcott to Adam Williams came so close to seeing the winger add his second try of the night but unfortunately he was unable to gather the ball.
Cardiff were reduced to 14 men after 54 minutes when James Murphy was sin binned for around the neck off the ball tackle on Craig Hudd. Scrivens’ unfortunately slipped slightly as he took the ensuing kick and the opportunity was missed.
A Steffan Jones penalty extended Cardiff’s lead after 68 minutes as once again his sides’ dominance at the set piece bought its reward as the Bedwas scrum again collapsed. Jones missed a further opportunity to put the game out of Bedwas reach after 74 minutes as his penalty shot went wide.
Bedwas battled hard but a penalty kick to touch went over the dead ball line and a great opportunity was squandered. Nevertheless the Cardiff defense was on the back foot and with seconds left Pitman was sinbinned for a high tackle but there was insufficient time for Bedwas to take advantage as the visitors held out.
Saturday, October 13, 2018
Bermuda Rugby Leagues Round Up
IslandStats.com
The Bermuda Rugby Football Union’s league season resumed at the National Sports Center, with Ladies and Men’s Division action taking place with a total of 170 combined points going on the board.
Ladies Division
Mariners defeated the Police 42 – 5 in the opener, referee Alvin Harvey was kept busy, as Apryl Jackson led the Mariners to victory with 3 Try’s, Lysmierei Santana Suazo added two Try’s, while Deneka Borden, Karly Alleyne and Naya Heylieger all added a Try each, with Gena Newson kicking 1 Conversion, the Police lone Try coming from Etienne Coetzee.
Harvey was back in action as the Teachers went down 10 – 5 to the Renegades. Rachel Jenkins scored both Try’s for the Renegades, while Najee Pitt-Clarke scored the lone Try for the Teachers.
Men’s Division
Under the watchful eye of referee Richard Foulds, the Renegades defeated the Teachers 29 – 14. The Renegades sent an ominous warning to the other clubs with a controlled performance with Charlie Craigs orchestrating a comeback from behind 14-4 halftime deficit to comfortably run away. Craigs had 2 Try’s, with Robin Bricknell and Conor McGlynn adding a Try each, Craigs kicked 3 Conversions and a Penalty. The Teachers got Try’s from Kia Edwards and Chinua Smith, while Connor McGowan kicked 2 Conversions.
In the second game of the Division on the day officiated by Referee Niso Moyo saw the Police defeat the Mariners 40 – 25. This game saw a revamped Mariners side take on a Police side bursting with confidence after two early pieces of silverware 7s& 10s tournament wins. Police would not get their own way with a seesaw first half which saw both sides exchange Try’s and Penalties.
The second half saw a very tense competitive game develop with both sides exchanging scores before Police fitness showed through and they walked away deserved winners of a very good game of rugby.
The Police would get Try’s from Andrew Kempe , Quinton Venter, Ben Green, Vaughn Van Oudtshoornt, Darren Richardson and a Penalty Try, while Dan Cole kicked 1 Conversion and 2 Penalties. The Mariners got 2 Try’s from Jess Kanongataa and single Try’s from Paul Kelly and Mikael Dill, Rory Dublin kicked 1 Conversion and 1 Penalty.
