19 Sep 2007 | Rugby
After a break over the summer months, The Dolly Madison Youth Soccer Academy ( formerly the Grand Bahama Youth Soccer Development Programme) is scheduled to restart on Wednesday September 11th at Freeport Rugby Football Club at 5pm for all boys aged 9 to 21 years of age .
At present the following age levels will be coached on a weekly basis: Under 10s, Under 13s, 14 to 17 year olds, and 18 and over.
The Programme provides a framework which complements the YMCA and School programmes by offering players further higher level and qualified coaching and additional organized practices and competitive games.
Under its first full season with new sponsor Dolly Madison and Whirlpool, the Academy continues to expand and has ambitious plans for the future year including:
*Being able to utilize the new and expanded training facilities at Freeport Rugby & Football Club which are likely to open in early 2008. These will include a full size soccer pitch , 2 training areas and a 5 a side pitch ,
*Expanding of the Whirlpool Intermediate League, which is for boys aged 14 to 17 , from four teams to six or seven once the new pitches come on stream
*Continuing to assist in young players obtaining soccer scholarships to US Colleges. This summer , 3 players who have come through the ranks of the Soccer Academy obtained Soccer scholarships.
*Both hosting and touring against other Bahamian Islands and US teams in order that the players get the correct exposure to different players, other styles of play etc
Any interested players or persons interested in helping to coach can contact Mark Hardy at 357-5403 or come to Freeport Rugby and Football Club from 5pm every Wednesday.7 Sep 2007 | Rugby
Whilst it will not cost us Six Mllion Dollars, the Club is back for the new season ; Re-vigorated , new pitches on the way , a fresh input of talent and a new man at the helm.
The club officially opened this week with rugby training on monday followed by women's soccer tuesday and men's soccer wednesday. Youth soccer starts on wednesday 12th .
The Presidents Cocktail Party is slated for Friday September 28th .
This season the Club have bought in Herb to promote youth rugby . Herb brings a wealth of experience and know-how and that kiwi charm.
So no excuse now to join up , come for a run around , watch or come and sip a cool beer7 Sep 2007 | Rugby
In an effort to build bridges with the wives and girlfriends and hence enable to spend more hours at the club watching the world cup , here are a few basic rules for the Laydeeeees .
If, however, you cannot convince your better half to join you at the Club, please be re-assured that our new man Herb ( or Erb if your jamiaican or American ) has already been told about the golden rule
if the wife/girlfriend phones up, you've just left the Clubhouse and thus should be home shortly
RULES AND RUSES
The Match Each team has 15 players, eight burly forwards and seven much prettier backs. Matches are 10 minutes shorter than in football - that's 80 minutes of bare-faced, politically incorrect, thrilling brutality.
Passing You're only allowed to pass the ball to someone level with you, or behind you. You can move forwards by running the gauntlet of enemy defenders while desperately clutching the ball to your chest.
Tackling Apart from tackling above the shoulders, opposing players are allowed to do pretty much anything they want in order to get the ball off you - and they do. Crushing your face into the mud and belly-flopping on top of you are all encouraged. Watch and weep.
Scoring A Try, worth five points, is scored by running with the ball over the opponent's goal line and planting it on the ground in a triumphant manner. You're then given the opportunity to "convert" the Try - which means kicking it over the crossbar between two posts for another two points. If the opposition commits a foul, you get a penalty kick worth three points. Finally, you can take a Jonny Wilkinson-style drop kick during open play while everyone is doing their damndest to get the ball off you. Very difficult, so worth three points.
Lineouts These occur when the ball goes off the pitch. The players line up next to one another, the ball is thrown between them and they all perform acrobatic feats of athleticism in order to grab it.
The Scrum When play needs to be restarted there will be a scrum. Each team's forwards put their arms around each other and lock necks with the opposition. Their aim is to drive their enemies off the ball.
Rucks These are the bits that look like a body-builders' street brawl. They occur when everyone's trying to get their hands on the ball after someone's been tackled to the floor.