TCIRFU – The Story So Far
For those unfamiliar with the history of rugby in the TCI, a brief history:
As anybody who knows these islands will testify, grass is a rare luxury and so non contact ‘touch’ rugby prevailed as the preferred version of the game for many years. Originally played on the parade grounds of Grand Turk, ‘touch’ moved onto the equally unforgiving surface of the old Ballpark on Provo, where until the construction of the new Astroturf pitch, the first rule of rugby was “don’t fall over on the ballpark” – As any overzealous new recruit found out, injuries came easily and healed slowly…..! Consequently, any rugby enthusiast eager for the full contact of the game was forced to look overseas. Following our first tour to Tamarac, FL in the late ‘90s TCIRFU had established a tradition of touring to Nassau, Dominican Republic and the Carib 7s in Trinidad over recent years. Have won some and lost more, one of more notable achievements is being voted “Most Sociable Team” in Trinidad, perhaps reflecting what the game is all about. Having formed an official rugby union in 2001 TCIRFU is now recognized by the North America and Caribbean Rugby Association and we are aiming to compete in regional international competitions. The TCIRFU has continued to grow with the success of the Junior Rugby Development Program. A number of the junior players are filtering through to the senior ranks and we look forward to continued growth in youth rugby. The senior game has continued to develop with annual leagues. The most recent Winter league was won by the White Sharks RFC in a nail biting final with the Black Mambas RFC. The senior players also compete in the annual Governor’s Cup beach rugby tournament as well as tournaments in the United States. Our other main focus for the development of the game has been the construction of our own rugby pitch. Where you stand today is the culmination of years of hard work and fundraising by the TCIRFU. The site for our field has been generously donated by Mr Frank Coggins. As a non-profit organization, without the benefit of external funding TCIRFU has raised and invested in excess of $100,000 in the pitch to date in addition significant donations of time and equipment from several local contractors. With the opening of the Meridian Trust Field today we hope that this will accelerate the growth of rugby in the Turks and Caicos Islands. In the near future we anticipate completing our on site clubhouse which will be our base of operations for years to come.
