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The Bermuda U11 rugby team started their tour in successful fashion with a strong performance against the Guildford team on September 29.

The day started wet and cool but by game time the weather had cleared and the temperature reached a pleasant 65 degrees.

The game was 20 minutes each way and was a 12 a side match played with full tackle, five man scrums and four man lineouts.

Adam Nicol lead the way with two tries while Graham Cooke and Micah Perrozi scored one try each. Bermuda dominated the first half and led 15-0.

Guildford came back back strongly in the second half with Bermuda having to hold back wave after wave of attack.

Bermuda held on to win comfortably 20 to 5.

Chobman Mini

Rugby Festival

The Bermuda U11 put up an excellent performance to take third place in the Chobham Rugby Festival in Surrey, England. This is the first time that a team from Bermuda of this age has been on an overseas tour for some 30 years.

The festival involved some 700 kids from 7 to 12 year in age was held in mild, dry conditions. All games were played with two seven minute halfs and involved full tackle 12-player rugby

Bermuda finished second in pool A with a record of 2 wins and 1 loss beating hosts Chobham 7-0 and Rosslyn Park 14-7 and falling to Sutton & Epsom 0-7.

The semi-final against Pool B winners and eventual champions Teddington was a close affair with Teddington going up with a try right on half-time. Bermuda came back very strongly in the final minutes and were held up over the line on a couple of occasions in the dying seconds of match.

Head Coach Andrew Price said: "The performance, commitment and passion displayed by the boys today has been outstanding. The Bermuda squad were complimented on how well such a new team played. The contact area was hotly contested but good discipline and an abundance of natural talent saw Bermuda produce great rugby.

"The opposition included experienced festival teams such as Chobham, Teddington, Sutton & Epsom and Rosslyn Park. To make it into the semi-final and be beaten by the eventual winners was beyond even the most optimistic expectations. All the hard work in training paid off and every boy played his part in what must be considered a very successful tour. Chobham were superb hosts and were delighted to be able to make their festival an 'international' competition."[[In-content Ad]]

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