30 Nov 2006 | Rugby
The Bahamas Rugby and Football Union continued with the second week of action in New Providence and Grand Bahama on Saturday in the Stella Artois League.
One match was played in Grand Bahama with the Baillou Rugby Club beating the Freeport Rugby Club 20-13.
Meanwhile Saturday rugby action at the Winton Rugby field saw the Buccaneers Rugby Club defeat the Cuckoos A Rugby Club, 12-5.
This season, the BRFU will be experimenting with a points system that is being used prominently in European rugby.
The system has proven to be highly effective in encouraging efforts for tries rather than settling for kicks. The system also provides a points incentive for losing teams to keep playing hard right up to the final whistle.
In the points system a team gets three points for a win. Teams will also receive one point apiece for a tie, scoring four tries or more in one game and for losing by seven points or less.
This points system will be used in all Stella Artois League matches and Nassau Cup League matches except for those games involving Cuckoos B team, as this team is a developmental side.
As result, Baillou won three points for the victory while Freeport won one point for losing by less than seven points.
The Buccaneers won three points for the win while the Cuckoos A team won one point.
The season started the week previous. One match was played in the Stella Artois League with the Baillou Rugby Club winning 27-23 over the Cuckoos A Rugby Club.
In the Nassau Cup League, the Buccaneers Rugby Club blanked the Cuckoos B Rugby Club, 49-0.
The standings for the Stella Artois League are as follows: Baillou is in first place with six points, registering two wins and no losses; the Buccaneers team is second with three points with one win in as many games; while the Cuckoos A team is third with two points, having two losses in as many games; and Freeport is fourth with one point, losing one game in as many matches.
The standings in the Nassau Cup League are as follows: The Buccaneers Club is in first place with three points, registering one win in as many games; and the Cuckoos B team is second with no points, losing one game. Meanwhile Baillou and the Cuckoos A team have not played yet.
In related rugby news, three Bahamian players were considered for the West Indies 7s squad. They are Jeremico Cooper, Duran Beadle and Dan Woodside. The players performed well at last weeks North America and West Indies Rugby Associations (NAWIRA) Digicel Sevens Competition held in Barbados. The Bahamas finished second in the Plate Finals.
However Woodside was recently invited to play for the West Indies in Trinidad and Tobago on December 2 and 3.
According to Sevens National Coach, Andrew Davies, “This is a tremendous achievement and one which we all applaud. If he does well in this one he will be selected to the West Indies side at the IRB Sevens in San Diego.
“We are informed that his accommodation and expenses are covered for the duration of his stay in Trinidad. Now he needs $1,000 to fly him from the UK for the tournament. “
In the summer, Androsian Woodside accepted the opportunity from the BRFU to play for a leading rugby club, the Luctonians, in England. Since then Woodside has been excelling in the sport and representing The Bahamas well.
29 Nov 2006 | Rugby
A plethora of activity :
RUGBY : FREEPORT 13 BAILOU 20
Freeport lost their first Bahamas Cup game in a tight match against Bailou from Nassau! The first twenty minutes Freeport played some of the best rugby all year and secured the first try when Edwin Joseph touched down after some neat play by Geo Rolle and Marco Pierre. Speller missed the conversation but soon made up for that by slipping over a penalty to put Freeport 8-0 ahead and cruising!
The forward played tremendously well and secured most of the scrums and lineout! After 30 minutes the legs of Freeport started to go and Bailou moved back into the game with some tough running from the forwards and scored to make the game 8-5 at the half.
The second half was a scrappy affair with both sides turning over the ball and making costly errors! Unfortunately for Freeport an obvious forward pass wasn’t given by the ref and Bailou when ahead for the first time! With another try soon after Freeport suddenly woke up and with two tries needed secured another try to make the score 20-13 with five minutes left! Although all the Freeport tried hard it was not enough the final whistle went with the score 20-13 to Bailou.
Freeport fly to Nassau on December 2nd to play Cuckoos in a must win match for the Grand Bahamians! With no apparent injuries to worry about they fly down with a full squad ready to conquer the mighty Cuckoos!
Soccer : Freeport 8 Seven Seas Voyager 2 ( i think)
The club’s yout were way too strong for a game crew team from the Seven Seas Voyager currently in dry dock. However a good time was had by all and it was an excellent opportunity to ‘blood’ some of the younger players like reko jean. kerlin emile , denzil deveaux and tery augustin. Denzil – all of 14 – in particular looked as though he has been playing mens football for years !!! Impressive performances also from mcyver in the trendy holding role that is all the rage and archie who at long last finished off his intricate approach play with some lethal finishing , claiming 4 goals in the process. Antonio and Jacko had a personal duel to see who could miss the most goal scoring opportunities . not sure who won that contest as they were both equally poouer ( yes i did mean to spell it like i’m from wearside).
Abley referreed by Tomi who , according to the opposition , is due in hospital today to surgically remove the whistle from his **** !!!!!
24 Nov 2006 | Rugby
Freeport Rugby team kick off the 2006/7 Bahamas Cup season with a home game against Bailou of Nassau this Saturday (November 25th) at 2.00pm.
Always keenly contested this opening game could go along way to deciding the Bahamas Cup for the 2006/7 season.With Freeport defending the title which they won last year for the first time since 1996 they come up against the powerhouse team from the mighty Nassau!
Its all change the for the Freeport team this year with veterans KC Charlton, Nigel Kirkby and Robbie Nabb all hanging up their boots ( and in some cases sports bras) leaving the new starlets of the team to pick up their mantle and continue the proud tradition of Freeport Rugby Club. With a squad of 22 players and a average age of only 21 years Freeport hope that the fitness and energy of the young players will prevail over the coming season and a repeat of last years victory will be made! Players have been working hard over recent weeks and a keenly fough game is expected and the youngsters come to grips with Cup rugby and the rivalry that exists between Freeport and Nassau.
All spectators are welcome and the club will be open from 1pm till late on the day of the game!
20 Nov 2006 | Rugby
In memory of ( according to my dad) the greatest footballer ever- and thats good enough for me :
From Sporting Life:
PUSKAS – THE ORIGINAL GALACTICO
Hungarian football legend Ferenc Puskas was the greatest player never to win a World Cup.
Puskas, who died on Friday morning in a Budapest hospital following a long illness at the age of 79, was the captain of the Magical Magyars, the famous Hungarian national side of the 1950s.
Puskas style and flair revolutionised the beautiful game during the post-war era. He was the inspiration behind Hungary’s sensational 6-3 victory over England in 1953, scoring two goals from inside-left as the Magyars became the first foreign side to win at Wembley. As Hungary emerged as the pre-eminent post-war team, their movement, energy and improvisation on the pitch a world away from the sluggish, formulaic and rigid style of the traditional powerhouses of the game, so, too, did Puskas emerge as the pre-eminent footballer of his time.
Nicknamed the Galloping Major – a moniker from his days with army-owned side Honved – Puskas was a prolific goalscorer throughout his career, his powerful left foot bringing him an extraordinary tally of 83 goals in 84 international appearances for Hungary. He was also the inspiration behind Hungary’s record 32-game unbeaten run during the early part of the 1950s which, agonisingly, was destined to come to an end on the biggest stage in world football.
The 1954 World Cup so nearly brought Puskas his greatest footballing achievement, as the Magical Magyars swept all before them on an imperious march to the final against West Germany. But just as the Dutch Total Football revolutionaries of the 1970s would fail to convert their superiority into victory when it mattered most, so Hungary, hindered by an unfit Puskas in the latter stages of the game, crumbled to defeat against their unfancied opponents.
But while international honours might have eluded Puskas, domestic honours came thick and fast, including five domestic league titles in his homeland. He was top scorer in the Hungarian League with Honved on four occasions, and in 1948 was the leading scorer across all the European leagues.
During the failed Hungarian uprising of 1956, Puskas was in Spain with Honved for a European Cup game. Fearful of Soviet reprisals, he went into self-imposed exile and eventually joined Real Madrid, where he formed an explosive partnership with the legendary Alfredo Di Stefano. He and Di Stefano were the original Galacticos before the expression was coined. While in Madrid, Puskas collected a further five league titles and finished as the league’s top scorer four times in five years. He also scored seven goals in two European Cup final appearances, including four in Real’s famous 7-3 victory over Eintracht Frankfurt in 1960. In total, Puskas scored 512 goals in 528 matches for Real, while in 1962 he became a Spanish citizen, playing for them in the World Cup finals in Chile later that same year.
After retirement he became a coach for a raft of clubs both in Europe and further afield, and in 1971 led Panathinaikos to the European Cup final. But it was as a player that Puskas’ reputation was forged, and from there that a legend ultimately emerged.
Later in life, Puskas was frequently honoured for his achievements in ushering in footballs modern era. In 1999, he was voted the 20th centurys sixth best player by the International Federation for Football History and Statistics, while in 2001 the Nepstadion in Budapest – his home town, where he was born in 1927 – was renamed the Stadion Puskas Ferenc in his honour. He was also declared the best Hungarian player of the past 50 years by the Hungarian Football Federation in the UEFA Jubilee Awards in November 2003.
Puskas, who was admitted to intensive care in a Budapest hospital in September 2006 due to complications arising from an Alzheimer’s-like disease, leaves a wife Erzsebet.
19 Nov 2006 | Rugby
In a thrilling game Freeport FC lost a seesaw encounter against a lively US team. THE 4pm kick off saw a reasonable gathering of players and supporters saw Freeport field a new look forward line of Jay and Leon and, in the early stages, the pairing created a number of early chances. Unfortunately the finishing did not match the approach play as the team struggled for the openening goal.
Indeed it was the visitors who took the lead midway through the first half although Leon squared the game with a neat finish shortly after. Unfortunately a shaky defence failed to hold the visitors ‘big man’ who nipped in just before half time to give the US team the lead.
A slightly revamped formation in the second half with an extra midfielder brought Ivan more into the game and Freeport FC began to dominate the match. The biggest surprise was not that we equallised but more the scorer and manner – The Rev with a peach of a volley from the edge of the box. Indeed a surprisingly attack minded Rev could have added a further couple of goals. Eventually Leon added to his tally as the home team deservedly took the lead for the first time. A reshaped defence however managed to hand the game back to the visitors as a dubious penalty award (welcome to the bahamas jay) levelled the score. Freeport FC moved forward to win the game and came close – hitting the post twice – but it was the americans who won the game when their big man once again got free and somehow sneaked the ball in for the winner.
Given the celebrations afterwards and ages of all participants it was decided not to have rematch on sunday . Shame !
Anyhow, good afternoon and a visit to the US beckons.
16 Nov 2006 | Rugby
Just like London buses- nothing for yonks and then they all arrive together ! Having been starved of live action for an eternity , the sporting public are to treated to an abundance of sporting excellence in the up and coming week . As well as the beginning of the Bahamas Rugby Cup on Saturday 25th November, an Over 35s soccer team are visitng this weekend from Miami . After intense negotiations ( they said they were here , we said we would play them) games have been arranged as follows:
Saturday18th November 4pm – at Freeport Rugby & Football Club
Sunday 2pm – at Freeport Rugby & Football Club – CANCELLED
All spectators are welcome .
