Cayman Islands defeat Barbados in hard fought match

The Cayman Islands delivered a commanding 46–21 victory over Barbados in a hard-fought Rugby XV encounter at the Truman Bodden Stadium on June 13.

Barbados entered the fixture with strong momentum and high expectations following a dominant regional campaign. The team had secured a resounding 68–0 win over St Vincent and the Grenadines on May 30, followed by a disciplined 21–3 victory against Guyana on June 6 at the Historic Garrison Savannah.

Despite those results, Barbados were forced to compete without captain Enrique Oxley, sidelined through injury.

The hosts got on the board early with a try from Bryce Dean and conversion from Harry Clark, and following an action packed start to the encounter, at the interval the hosts led 27-21.

The second half also saw several substitutions on both teams and very physical end-to-end action, without additional points being scored, until the 57th minute when Cayman extended their lead to 39-21. Despite relentless pressure and frequent contact, the Barbados men were unable to score during the final period. Justin May, Bryce Doran and Harry Clark, however, added to the Cayman total.

Barbados currently stands at number 68 in World Rugby rankings, with the Cayman Islands number 62.  

(KD)