The Tribune

By RENALDO DORSETT

Sports Reporter

rdorsett@tribunemedia.net

FOR the second consecutive year, Cuckoos Rugby Club claimed the Bahamas Rugby Football Union Championship and the first edition of what is now known as the Heineken Bahamas Cup.

Cuckoos took the Cup final with a 27-24 win over Buccaneers Rugby Club at the Winton Rugby Centre on Saturday.

After a slow start offensively for both teams, Cuckoos were able to overcome a halftime deficit and outscore the Bucs 19-8 in the second half.

Both teams exchanged drop goals for a three point tie early on.

The defending champions would post the first try of the game on close yardage try, but led just 8-3 after a failed conversion.

The Bucs responded with a try just under three minutes later and with a successful conversion, took a 10-8 lead into the half.

Cuckoos would respond with a try on opening possession of the second half to take a 13-10 lead.

As they did for much of the game, the Bucs would have a response when Roman Knowles scored on another short yardage try to regain the lead for his side. A successful conversion gave the Bucs a 17-13 lead.

Andrew Bain gave Cuckoos the go ahead score and the lead for good when he bypassed the Bucs defense to take a 20-17 lead for the defending champions.

On the ensuing possession, Jamico Cooper broke through the Bucs defense once again, and passed off to Ashley Roberts to give Cuckoos a commanding 27-17 lead.

David Bethel added a late try for the Bucs, but their comeback effort fell three points short.

Cooper, who was named the season MVP, was also named championship MVP for Cuckoos. Bethel was named MVP for the Bucs.

Roberts, who watched from the sidelines for the duration of the first half, said the halftime deficit was a rallying cry for his side at intermission. “Playing just the second half we had a lot of pressure coming out of the break and playing from behind, but it made us that much more determined to come out and get the job done. I think you saw we were a different team with our execution in the second half and we were able to string together enough tries to hold on for the win,” he said.

“We got more aggressive as the game went on and that was a true testament to our leadership. Guys like Jamico, Dan and Bain were in our ear the whole time encouraging us and also leading by example so it made a huge difference for us.”

Cooper, a national team stalwart and Cuckoos captain, said he expected the game would be a hard-fought contest with many players from both sides recently completing NACRA 15s training.

“We were 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. So everyone was in shape and in the mindset of playing high quality rugby. There was some good rugby played by both sides and was 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, but came up short in their first Cup final in nearly two decades.

Baillou captured the Nassau Cup this season with a win over the Bucs.

The Bucs rebounded to top Baillou in the Heineken Cup semis and earn a berth in the 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.”