Rugby Classic

The 25th Bermuda Rugby Classic is under way at the National Sports Stadium and runs the whole of this week. The ‘Silver Classic,’ has over the year become the unofficial veterans rugby World Cup and if ever you are planning a trip to Bermuda and want to a fun and exhaustive week, then this is it.

The matches are fiercely competitive but the players, that include this year Josh Lewsey, John Petrie, Shane Byrne, Serge Betsen and Gordon Bulloch among many others, have a lot of fun and can be seen around the island all week immersing themselves in, shall we say, the local culture!

The first Classic in 1988 saw teams from Bermuda, England, Ireland, Scotland, Wales and the United States taking part, but in recent times the individual British sides have been replaced by a Lions team with Australia, Canada, France, New Zealand, South Africa, Italy, Uruguay and last year’s champions Argentina all contesting the tournament. This year’s absent All Blacks hold the most titles with nine.

It is one of the best week’s on the island and the organisers always do a good job despite the undoubted heavy rain which always greets at least one of the nights. I have tickets for almost every night but seeing as I value my balls and I can’t deal with the back to back boozy nights, I think I’ll just pop along for a dark and stormy on Thursday.