The Tribune

By RENALDO DORSETT

Sports Reporter

rdorsett@tribunemedia.net

One game remains to determine the predominant side in the Bahamas Rugby Football Union (BRFU).

The defending champions Cuckoos is scheduled to face the resurgent Buccaneers rugby club in the Heineken Bahamas Cup final at the Winton Rugby Centre 3pm April 27.

Cuckoos will look to win its second consecutive title after a dominant 2012 where they captured both the Nassau and Bahamas Cups, while the Bucs will appear in the Cup final for the first time in nearly two decades.

National team stalwart and Cuckoos captain Jemico Cooper said the game should be a hard-fought contest with many players from both sides recently completing NACRA 15s training.

“Just looking forward to a good game,” he said. “Both teams have seasoned national team players that just finished taking part in a competitive game against USA South. Everyone should be in shape and in the mindset of playing high quality rugby. There will be some good rugby played by both sides and should be very entertaining for the spectators.”

In a resurgent year for the Buccaneers, they scored a 17-16 win over Cuckoos in early December, followed by claiming the tournament title in the Boxing Day Sevens tournament.

The BRFU moved into the second segment of its season after Baillou captured the Nassau Cup with a win over the Bucs.

The Bucs rebounded to top Baillou in the Heineken Cup semis and earn a berth in this weekend’s championship game.

In December 2012, Heineken and the Bahamas Rugby Football Union partnered to rename the Annual Bahamas Rugby Cup as the Heineken Bahamas Rugby Cup, and the brewing company now also provides branding, marketing and advertising support.

Steven Johnson, chairman of the BRFU, said the sponsorship is the most significant development in the union’s more than 40-year history in the Bahamas.

“The biggest annual club rugby tournament in the world is the Heineken Cup in Europe, so we are honoured and excited to have a world-recognised sponsor of Heineken’s magnitude give us their financial support,” he said.

The Heineken Bahamas Rugby Cup ran for 23 weeks of competition with three teams from New Providence (Baillou, Cuckoos and Buccaneers) and one from Freeport (Freeport Rugby Club).

Lino Villarreal, group marketing manager at the Burns House Group, said Heineken was very excited to partner with the BRFU for its 2012/13 season.

“This sponsorship is also an opportunity to make a valuable contribution to the further development of rugby in the Bahamas.”