Youth rugby gets boost with international tours

Having completed a successful international rugby tour with one Canadian school, the Barbados Rugby Football Union (BRFU) and its youth development partner, Pelican Rugby Academy (PRA) are gearing up to host another.

The two entities recently hosted St Theresa of Lisieux Roman Catholic School in Ontario, Canada in a tour that combined island life with rugby development, from joint training sessions under the lights to a lively evening of age-grade matches at the historic Garrison Savannah.

The event marked the first international age-grade fixtures for the year.

Following its conclusion, the BRFU has announced that another Canadian tour has already been confirmed for later this month, which will see a strong Under-16 female contingent facing the island’s emerging Lady Pelicans — a key step in growing the women’s game locally.

President of the BRFU, Donovan Bagwell, said he is elated to see local, youth players get the opportunity to face international competition.

“This is exactly what we want to see — a clear pathway for young players, meaningful international competition, and a strong partnership driving development forward,” Bagwell said.

The recently concluded tour with St Theresa of Lisieux Roman Catholic School also produced some exciting matches, despite the visitors emerging victorious in all of the contests.

The opening match featured the St Theresa of Lisieux (STL) Under-19 boys’ ‘B’ team facing off against the Pelican Rugby Academy (PRA) Under-16 boys in a touch/hold match, which the much more experienced STL boys won 19-5, with PRA’s Dmitri Applewhaite scoring the lone try for the home team.

Game two featured the STL Under-19 boys’ ‘A’ coming up against the PRA Under-19 boys’ in a full contact/tackle match that featured some impressive agility and speedy footwork on both sides.

The local boys, although much less experienced, fought to the bitter end, pressing the visitors at every opportunity. In the end, the visitors prevailed, 29-24, with PRA’s Ollie Mustard scoring twice, while teammates Nathari Medford and Dylan Mahon scored one try apiece.

The PRA Under-16 boys’ played touch rugby against the Lady Pelicans in the third match of the night. This fixture was just as exciting as the previous matches, and the Lady Pelicans put up a good fight, not reflected in the final score of 20-5 to the visitors. Lady Pelicans’ superstar Kezia Jones scored the only try for her team, while Daniel Linton, Nathan Brathwaite, Dmitri Applewhaite and Akai Proverbs all got across the try line for the Boys.

The night’s final match was PRA Under-19 boys vs STL Under-19 boys’ ‘B’ team, and the visitors’ greater experience and skills gave them a winning score of 25-10. PRA players Dylan Mahon and Tai Gill scored one try apiece for the Pelicans.

Beyond the results, the real success was the experience — players training together, competing hard, and building friendships that reflect the true spirit of rugby.

The tour formed part of a broader push by the Barbados Rugby Football Union, working closely with Pelican Rugby Academy, to expand
opportunities for young players through international exposure and structured development.

(PR)