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The Bermuda Onions Rugby Football Club will host three rugby matches today. The matches will be played against "The Limeys" under lights at the National Sports Centre North Field.

The Onions club provides an opportunity for Bermudian players of all ages to represent Bermuda and play a representative game in the colours of their country - a chance some of them might not otherwise have.

The Onions are represented by a men's XV, a ladies team and the Under 12's, known as the Shallots. The first game kicks off at 5:30pm and will see the Shallots take on their U12 opposition.

The Onions have always emphasised youth development. Players can be seen honing their skills on Sunday mornings at Saltus school field. The Ladies' game will follow the Shallots, and the evening will finish with the showpiece event featuring the men's team versus The Limeys. Last year, the all-Bermudian teams won two of the fixtures against their opposition with only the Lady Onions narrowly missing out.

The men's team is coached this year by ex-national team and West Indies captain Derek "Bobby" Hurdle, and is captained by Teachers 1st XV Captain Thomas Greenslade. The Onions have always had an emphasis on youth development and this year's men's team features seven of the Bermuda Under19 squad that will compete in the U19 Caribbean Championships later this year in Cayman.

Lubin Sousa, Colin and Aldo Campbell, Kai Edwards, Shauntino Simons, Andre Landy and Patrick Richardson will pull on the distinctive pink strip of the Onions and line up alongside Bermuda stalwarts like Alvin Harvey, Anthony Cupidore and Jonathan Cassidy.

Heath Robinson, president of the Bermuda Onions Rugby Football Club, said: 'The Onions club strives to allow a representative side for Bermudians and afford them a chance to play. We have seen these games play a great role in developing Bermudians since the club was originally formed in the early 1990s. We are proud to offer our home-grown athletes this opportunity to succeed and are excited by the continued growth of rugby in Bermuda. We are proud to be able to contribute to the development not just of strong, fit rugby players but also model citizens of all ages."[[In-content Ad]]

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