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Bahamas rugby football union |
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The Bahamas
Rugby Football Union
Rugby is at the heart of the New Providence
Sports and Educational Centre (NPSEC).
It is predicted that,
under the umbrella of the NPSEC, the three teams currently
playing
in New Providence will experience a gradual but
constant influx of new, young players.
In anticipation of
this growth a radical expansion plan is required. It is
recommended
that the Bahamas Rugby Football Union should
anticipate the following:
8 Men’s teams
4 Women’s teams
2 ‘Old Boys’ Teams
8 U18 Youth teams
(boys)
4 U18 Youth teams
(girls)
8 U15 Youth teams (boys)
1. Men’s Rugby
GOAL
To produce a regionally competitive national team by 2007
and to qualify for the
World Cup in 2011.
League
In order to fulfil these goals, the league
has to be completely restructured to
maximise playing and
coaching time. The league needs to be (9 teams including
Freeport) with teams playing each other twice. This will
extend the season to 16
games per team and should be played
over 8 months (October to May) – a total
of 72 games in a
season.
Each team will get a one week break and every
team shall visit Freeport once in the
season.
Should the cost of 8 visits to Nassau be
prohibitive, then Freeport should be given
the option of
playing Friday and Sunday games, allowing them to visit
Nassau only four
times each year.
A New Providence 7-a-side season should be
played in June and July.
Cup
The bottom two league teams should play each
other in a pre-cup match, allowing
for 8 teams to compete in
the Cup competition – adding another 8 games to the
schedule. Cup games should be played in March (1/4 finals),
April (semis) and May (Final).
Internationals
The Centre should host one (3 team)
International Tournament each year – possibly
at Easter.
During World Cup qualification years, the League will be
suspended for four
weeks to allow the National team to
train.
Scheduling
There should be three men’s games every
Saturday afternoon. Teams will play, on
average, two weeks
playing with a one week break. Thus the season should run as
follows:
Example
of a season (2008):
|
OCTOBER |
Pre-Cup play-off |
No Game |
|
A v H |
B v I |
C v G |
D,E,F |
|
A v B* |
C v D |
E v F |
G,H,I |
|
F v G |
H v I |
A v C |
B,D,E |
|
NOVEMBER |
E v I |
D v H |
B v F |
A,C,G |
|
A v E* |
C v I |
D v G |
B,F,H |
|
B v H |
C v F |
E v G |
A,D,I |
|
D v I |
A v G |
C v H |
B,E,F |
|
DECEMBER |
A v D* |
B v E |
F v I |
C,G,H |
|
G v H |
B v C |
D v E |
A,F,I |
|
A v I |
C v E |
D v F |
B,G,H |
|
Christmas Break – Golden Oldies
Invitational Tournament |
|
JANUARY |
1st Saturday in January – NPSEC
Open Day |
|
|
A v F* |
E v H |
B v G |
C,D,I |
|
B v D |
F v H |
G v I |
A,C,E |
|
A v H* |
B v I |
C v G |
D,E,F |
|
FEBRUARY |
A v B |
C v D |
E v F |
G,H,I |
|
A v C* |
H v I |
F v G |
B,D,E |
|
CUP – First Round |
|
|
E v I |
D v H |
B v F |
A,C,G |
|
MARCH |
Spring Break College Invitational
Tournament |
|
A v E |
C v I |
D v G |
B,F,H |
|
B v H |
C v F |
E v G |
A,D,I |
|
Easter Week – International Tournament
(Wed, Fri, Sun) |
|
APRIL |
A v G* |
D v I |
C v H |
B,E,F |
|
A v D |
B v E |
F v I |
C,G,H |
|
CUP – Semi-finals |
|
|
G v H |
B v C |
D v E |
A,F,I |
|
MAY |
A v I* |
C v E |
D v F |
B,G,H |
|
A v F |
E v H |
B v G |
C,D,I |
|
B v D |
F v H |
G v I |
A,C,E |
|
CUP - Final |
|
*Games in Freeport
We will attempt to persuade one American or
Canadian Club to visit each week. These clubs will play
against a team that is in a rest week.
2. Women’s Rugby
GOALS
To develop a 4 team league by 2008 and to qualify for the
World Cup in 2014.
The promotion of Women’s Rugby is very high
on the agenda for the IRB and we should also embrace this in
the Bahamas. This might be a hard sell at first, but is well
worth the effort. There are IRB grants available that will
be able to assist in this area.
3. ‘Old Boys’ Rugby
GOALS
To keep older players in the game, while
making space in the league teams for younger players and to
host the ‘Golden Oldies’ Tournament in 2010.
An Old Boys team should consist of players
over 35 that are no longer playing in the regular league.
This is a fun team that will travel to promote the facility
and will host two or three events each year.
The Old Boys will also be highly valued as
mentors and coaches for the Youth Development teams.
Golden Oldies Nine Commandments!
1 I will play the Game of Rugby for the
Game's sake.
2 I will not remember the score at the end of the Game.
3 If I "made it" during my Playing days, I will not use that
to embarrass others.
4 If I didn't "make it" during my Playing days, I will not
use the Golden Oldies to do so.
5 I will at all times during the Game, respect the older and
more decrepit Members of the other Team.
6 I will follow the Golden Oldies philosophy of fun,
irreverence and self - indulgence.
7 I will be an Ambassador for Golden Oldies and spread the
good word.
8 I will never loose sight of the Rule
to make friends and renew acquaintances in exotic places.
9 I will always remember that I'm at far greater risk at
what I may do to myself, or have done to me socially, than
anything which may happen to me on the Field!
4. Youth Rugby
Each of the men’s teams will appoint a youth
officer who will be responsible for both youth teams. The
youth officer will choose a coach and an assistant coach.
Youth league games will be held on Saturday mornings and a
youth game will coincide with the senior men’s or women’s
game. This is so the young players can stay and support
their senior teams.
The Football Club
The Football Club will form the other half of
the Centre. The club itself should be divided into the
following groups:
1.SENIOR MEN’S
TEAM – A squad of 30 players comprising a first team and a
reserve team.
2. SENIOR WOMEN’S TEAM - A squad of 30 players comprising a
first team and a reserve team.
3. MASTERS TEAM - A squad (of fluctuating size) of men over
40.
4. YOUTH POLICY - A range of teams, both male and female
with players from 5 to 18 years of age, playing in the
following age groups:
7 & Under 9 & Under 11 & Under
Co-ed
13 & Under 15 & Under 18 &
Under Boys
13 & Under 15 & Under 18 &
Under Girls
INCLUSION:
It is the stated policy of the Centre to accept any child
who wishes to play, regardless of gender, race, nationality,
religious belief or ability. Internal competitions will be
structured so that any child with the desire to do so will
be able to train and play as and when s/he desires. This is
in keeping with the Centre’s commitment to the community as
a whole.
The Top Level
It is the ultimate aim of both the rugby and
football clubs to produce teams that will be capable
of competing on equal terms with the finest teams in the
region. We should be able to
encourage teams from the America, Canada, the Caribbean,
even Europe to compete as equals in periodic tournaments at
the facility.
Although competition on this island
will not be of the highest standard for several years, it is
anticipated that the substantial advantage that a good
facility provides will enable the club
to encourage teams at every level to
visit the Bahamas to play (see Sports Tourism). A percentage
of funds raised from these visits will be reinvested in the
teams, ensuring that teams have the best coaching available
and are also able to travel to international competitions.
Club vs. Country
It is a well accepted fact that
many of the best rugby and football players in the Bahamas
are not Bahamian citizens and are consequently not able to
play for the country. This problem
does not affect a club side that is able
to recruit at will.
This is not to say that eventually
the majority of good players will not be local. As the
programmes progress and coaching becomes more professional,
we will see a sharp upturn in the availability of good,
home-grown talent. However, in the
short to medium term, all available players of quality are
to be considered, many of which are of foreign extraction.
This does not distract from the fact that it is the club
itself that is Bahamian.
These goals of the NPSEC are not to
be considered at the exclusion of our academic and social
programmes, but are nevertheless
integral to the whole process. The same may also apply to
affiliated clubs that may be invited to join the Centre (see
Affiliated Clubs & Leagues below)
Affiliated Clubs and Leagues
It is to be expected other sports to wish to
avail themselves of the facilities at the sports complex. This
is to be encouraged, as long as another sport does not
compromise the position or validity of the New Providence
Sports and Educational Centre.
TERMS OF AFFILIATION
Any club wishing to utilise the facilities of
the NPSEC must agree to abide by a stringent set of rules and
conditions as laid out in the ‘Terms of Affiliation’, below:
-
The club must be properly constituted with a
board of directors.
-
The club must hold regular meetings.
-
The club must keep proper accounts which are
made available to their membership at least once every two
years.
-
The club must produce a Development Plan.
-
The club must have a full Coaching Staff.
-
The club must have an active Youth Policy.
-
The club must adopt a Child Protection
Policy.
-
The club must have a Code of Conduct.
-
The club must enforce its own Disciplinary
Procedures.
-
All members of the club must possess medical
insurance.
-
Any fundraising activities at the facility
must be approved by the board.
-
No affiliated club may sell anything within
the parameters without the prior consent of the board.
-
No affiliated club will receive, nor should
expect, any share of revenue raised in the restaurant, bar
or shop.
-
Any damage to property other than general
wear and tear committed by a member of the club must be paid
for by the club.
-
The club and its membership must observe, by
virtue of its affiliation to The NPSEC the rules and
regulations of the Centre.
-
The club must recognise that failure to
comply with any of the above terms may result in the
annulment of the club’s affiliation to the new Providence
Sports and Educational Centre.
The Club is prepared to consider the
possibility of allowing other football clubs to use the
facility for training purposes. This would be considered by
the board without prejudice, barring certain financial
restraints. The Club would also consider, if requested,
becoming the central venue for the New Providence Football
League.
As a part of its ongoing commitment to the
community, the NPSEC would consider becoming a home of High
School and Primary School sports, specifically:
BAISS High School Leagues
GSSSA High School Leagues
The Sports Complex will also establish 5-a-side
soccer, basketball and baseball leagues at the behest of
corporate citizens, government departments, etc. thus ensuring
that the gymnasium and courts are utilised throughout the
week.
These are considered both as part of the
NPSEC’s civic responsibility and also as a source of revenue.
Coaching & Training Programs
COACHING
A fundamental consideration in club
development is to offer the best possible standards of
coaching to all of our teams. Each team, in order to reach a
decent level of play, needs to receive training at least
twice a week, with structured games every weekend. All teams
should have a head coach and at least one assistant coach.
Coaches should hold relevant licenses.
The Bahamas Rugby Football Union needs to
establish a means of licensing coaches. The Bahamas Football
Association already provides a range of courses:
-
The ‘C’ License – A general, single day
license that is available to everyone.
-
The ‘B’ License – A one-week course that is
required for all club level coaches
-
The ‘A’ License – This course takes several
months to complete and is a prerequisite for all National
Coaches.
These courses should be used as a
starting point for all team coaches. However, in order to
further develop a professional attitude among both coaches
and players, the club needs to organise regular in-service
training (INSET) courses in:
1.
General Fitness
2. Nutrition
3. First Aid & CPR
4. Tactical Awareness
The Club shall also be prepared to train its
own referees.
Sports Tourism
In an
increasingly health-conscious world, the International Sports
Tourism Council (www.sportquest.com/tourism) estimates that
32% of the world tourism market is currently reliant on
Sports. Although the lion’s share of this is in the spectator
sector (Olympics, World Cup, and others) an increasing and
still underexploited percentage of Sports Tourism is
participatory.
There are many and obvious reasons why foreign teams,
particularly out of America and Canada, might wish to play in
The Bahamas, but there are three fundamental obstacles to
this:
1.
Poor
facilities
2.
Little or no
dissemination of information
3.
Lack of
infrastructure
In
the past year, the Bahamas has hosted at least a dozen foreign
rugby and soccer teams without really trying. This on top of
the countless other teams that come here to play other sports
such as basketball, or just come for winter breaks. The
connections have been largely personal ones with friends
organising trips, etc.
With over 6,000 soccer teams and 400 rugby teams in Florida
alone*, there is a vast network of schools and clubs in the
USA that would be keen on visiting the Bahamas to play in
tournaments. All that is required is a reasonable playing
facility and a little appropriate marketing.
In soccer
alone, it would be feasible to offer the following:
Under 11;
Under 13; Under 15; Under 17 (boys and girls);
Full adult
(male & female) Masters (over 40s)
This carries potential financial
gains that should not be overlooked when considering the
viability of ‘The New Providence Sports and Educational Centre
*See directory of US and Canadian Clubs
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