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World Rugby Classic To Kick Off This Weekend The 37th World Rugby Classic kicks off this weekend at the National Sports Centre in Devonshire, with teams from Argentina, Canada, Italy, the UK & Ireland [Classic Lions], USA and South Africa arriving this week ahead of opening night on Saturday, November 1st. World Rugby Classic founder and president, John Kane, reflects back on over 3 decades of this unique event and its impact on Bermuda, saying: “When the World Rugby Classic started in 1988 it was a blank canvas with regards to facilities! There were very few tents to rent on the island, corporate hospitality didn’t really exist as a concept [event planners and decorators were years away!] and international business had yet to get involved in sponsoring sporting events on the island. “Last year, forty-nine companies hosted clients at the Classic, and the hospitality tents entertained over 5,000 people and general admission saw roughly the same number over the week-long event. The week is an incredible boost to the local economy if you think of the hotel rooms, restaurants and bars, taxis, caterers, vendors etc that see an uptick in business in a usually quiet time of year. “To think how far we have come from when we started down at what is now Somersfield Academy, is a remarkable testament to the many people who have been involved over the decades, and the support of the Bermuda community which has enjoyed the event from day one and ensured its longevity.” A spokesperson added, “This year, the event takes on a slightly different format with six teams participating and will be a round-robin tournament over the course of the event. A win will award 4 points, and a bonus point is up for grabs for scoring four tries and for losing by less than seven points. After all the teams have played three matches each, the team with the most points will be declared the winner. There will also be three 7s matches added to the Wednesday evening line-up for the teams not playing that day which will add a new element of fast-paced action to the schedule. “Players in this year’s tournament have played international rugby for fourteen countries with notable names including: Bernard Le Roux , 47 caps for France Josh Strauss, 15 caps for Scotland Zane Kirchner, 31 caps for South Africa Andries Coetzee, 13 caps for South Africa JJ Engelbrecht, 13 caps for South Africa David Atwood, 27 international caps Matt Scott, 40 caps for Scotland Sam Hidalgo-Clyne 14 caps for Scotland Gonzalo Tiesi, 32 caps for Argentina Gonzalo Camacho, 24 caps for Argentina Mirco Bergamasco, 89 caps for Italy Marci Di Girolamo, 21 caps for Canada John Moonlight, 23 caps for Canada Colin Hawley, 7 caps for the USA Doug Fife, 8 caps for Scotland Jaike Carter, 7 caps for Spain “[Gates open at 5:30pm for evening matches and at 12:30pm on Sunday, November 2nd] Saturday, November 1st “7PM Argentina Legends vs Italian Classic XV “8:30PM Classic Canada vs Classic Lions “The Opening Night party will begin after the final whistle with Working Title and DJ Smokey and there will be no entrance to the ground from 8:30pm any evening. There will be strict police presence and security screening at the entrance gates and IDs will be checked at the bar facilities. Sunday, November 2nd – Family Day “1:30PM Bermuda mini rugby “3:30PM Classic USA vs South Africa Rugby Tuesday, November 4th “7PM Argentina Legends vs Classic Canada “8:30PM Italian Classic XV vs Classic Eagles Wednesday, November 5th “6:15PM Argentina 7s vs USA 7s [A] “6:45PM Canada 7s vs Italy 7s [B] “7:30PM Winner A vs Winner b “8PM South Africa Rugby vs Classic Lions Friday, November 7th “6PM Classic Canada vs Classic Eagles “7:30PM Classic Lions vs Italian Classic XV “9PM Argentina Legends vs South Africa Rugby “Local vendors include: Chiko & Ts, Bermuda Cupcake Company, Sensational Delights Bermuda, Spot Restaurant, Sousa’s Spring Rolls, Ahmani’s Cookies [Family Day] and Baan Thai Bermuda.” Event Director, Ronan Kane notes that “We have been keeping a close eye on Hurricane Melissa since early last week. Adjustments have been made to our set up schedule as Melissa is expected to pass Bermuda early Friday. We are currently continuing with our planned Event Schedule with gates set to open at 5.30pm on Saturday, November 1st. Any changes to the schedule will be communicated via our social media pages and local media outlets, as necessary.” A spokesperson added, “Tickets information can be found at http://www.worldrugby.bm and tickets can be purchased through Ptix.bm.” #BermudaRugby #WorldRugbyClassic Category: All, Sports
