The Tribune

THOUGH their Heineken Cup season ended with a bitter defeat to Baillou, Freeport Rugby Football Club will join forces with their Bahamian rugby rivals in a highly anticipated showdown with a Texas all-star squad in Nassau on Saturday.

Players from Freeport, Baillou, Cuckoos and Bucs will suit up Saturday to take on a strong Texas team comprised of players from several colleges in an under-23 match at Winton rugby field.

Freeport will be sending the following players this Saturday:

Jayce Bowleg

Dawayne Deveaux

Tyriq Forbes

Spencer Graham

Trevon Henfield

Nicholas Lane

Sanchez Laing

Liam McCrea

Mario McPhee

Clayton Newman

Craig Nortellus-Rolle

Travis Sherman

Joshua Thompson

Despite an early playoff exit in a thrilling semi-final match back in April, Freeport has continued to train on Tuesdays and Thursdays. Stephen Sheehan, youth development officer, along with captain Ben Power have continued to help the team stay in shape with fitness-based sessions in anticipation of the U-23 match and summer sevens season.

The match is scheduled to kick off at 3pm and should be an exciting and physical battle between the best of the Bahamas and the state of Texas.

However, the men won’t be the only Freeport players representing the Bahamas. Abby Alain, a graduate of St George’s High School, was selected to represent the Bahamas national women’s rugby team. A former soccer player, Alain joined Freeport’s girls’ team earlier this year and showed tremendous potential in a sevens tournament in Nassau back in February.

Alain’s physicality and upside caught the eye of the national team coaches, and she will take part in the team’s first training session on Saturday as they prepare for a trip to Mexico in July.

“We couldn’t be more proud of Abby’s hard work and look forward to her showcasing her abilities on the national stage,” said Sheehan. “This is a rare opportunity and I hope this is just the beginning for her rugby career.