The Tribune

By RENALDO DORSETT

Sports Reporter

rdorsett@tribunemedia.net

IT was an up and down season for Cuckoos Rugby Club but they ended the season with a pair of last second wins to claim the coveted Heineken Bahamas Cup.

Brian Baker’s game winning kick in extra time gave Cuckoos a 13-10 win over Buccaneers RC Saturday at the Winton Rugby Centre.

Cuckoos scored first and with a successful conversion gave them an early 7-0 lead. Andrew Bell scored the frst try for the Bucs to to cut the lead to two, 7-5 and took a 10-7 lead when Dorian Roach caught a kicked ball and ran it 60 yards.

Michael Watkins would answer and scored the first try of the game for the Cuckoos and Baker converted extra point.

Baker then tied the game up with seconds left in the half when the Bucs were called for a penalty

Buccaneers were unable to win consecutive Heineken Cups despite playing against a Cuckoos team which struggled during the season but progressed late in the year.

On the road in the semifinal, they defeated Freeport RC in Grand Bahama with a 16-15 come-from-behind win.

In 2015 Buccaneers RC defeated Freeport RC 18-7 to claim the 2015 Heineken Cup.

Since 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.

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).

Cuckoos captured the first two editions of the newly renamed event in

2012 and 2013, while Baillou took the cup in 2014.