Players pay tribute to Simmons at Somersfield

DeVrae Noel Simmons was remembered through a fiercely-fought rugby tournament as well as the planting of a cedar tree in his name at Somersfield Academy on Saturday.

Touring teams Trinity College, from Ontario, and Leaside, from Toronto, went up against Bermuda Under-16s for the DeVrae Noel Simmons Memorial Trophy.

And Trinity, with whom Simmons fostered such good relations, not only returned to the island to compete for the trophy but also, in a superb gesture, helped plant a tree in the late Bermudian’s honour.

The ceremony was attended by both sets of players and Gareth Nokes, Bermuda’s chairman of youth rugby, said it was ‘a great touch’ and a ‘humbling’ way to recognize the contribution of the former Teachers player and Bermuda Under-14s and Under-16s coach, who died aged just 45 in January.

Patrick Calow, Bermuda rugby’s youth development officer, told the Bermuda Sun: “It’s been a tough year losing someone who has been so influential but it’s nice to think we can remember him in a positive way and how he would have liked. The boys have really, really stepped up a couple of levels in their efforts [since his death] so that’s been great.

“We sometimes break out of our huddles with ‘DeVrae’ and he’s very much part of every single thing we do.

“He had a red Mohawk, tattoos everywhere, he was just such an influential person and he knew his stuff, too.”

Nokes added: “The lads could relate to him as well. He managed to go to a lot of these guys who had never played rugby before and told them how he had fallen in love with this sport later on in his life.

“He really dragged them along with him and got them interested in the sport and now they love what they are doing and it’s wonderful that we look at this now and think DeVrae started a lot of that. He would just be very proud of what they are doing.”

The Trophy, it is hoped, will become established as an annual event with the teams alternating in touring the respective countries. The Under-16s on Saturday beat Trinity 20-0 thanks to tries from Ryan Robb (2), Johnny Alves and Padraic O’Shaughnessy.

Nokes said the continuation of the event and the progress of the Bermuda youngsters just reinforces the legacy Simmons left behind.

He said: “DeVrae was instrumental in getting Trinity college to come over here — I think this is their fourth time — and he basically took over this Under-16 team and took it from real grassroots level and it has now progressed to where it is today.

“As a friend of Bermuda rugby, Trinity were very keen to continue this. So they have come over and planted a tree in honour of DeVrae and they, like we do, want to make this an annual event.

“It coincided, quite nicely, with Leaside’s visit  to make it a tri-team tournament, which has worked perfectly. Our Under-16 guys have just come on leaps and bounds and we need competition for them, so if we can continue this level of competition we can see them developing and that’s just wonderful for Bermuda rugby.

“A few years ago, they would have likely beaten us because they had the depth and the experience but over the three years these guys have been playing together, that experience is coming.

“We have the structure in place and we know the drills are coming through. And now we are not only competing but beating them comfortably.”

Nokes also believes that getting Bermuda to the 2020 Olympics to compete in the 7’s competition is a realistic target.

“Rugby 7s is an Olympics sport from 2016 so most of these guys are 16, obviously 2016 is probably out of the question but in 2020 these guys are going to be 22 years old and they are going to be right in the sweet spot for Olympic qualification.

“If we can keep this unit together it’s really important, not just for youth rugby but that feeds into our club rugby and that feeds into the men’s national team and then it goes on from there. If you look at our under-16s and our under-19s, they are predominantly local players. In years gone, it was predominantly an expat sport — it’s no longer the case.

“These guys are coming through, they are playing with absolute pride and they are representing their country wonderfully well.

“Irrespective of where they come from on the island, they come together as a team and they have got wonderful camaraderie. Our important job now is to keep this together as a unit and expand on it.

“Six years from now, it’s full of hope.”