After a five-year hiatus from the Test arena due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Jamaica kicked off their Rugby Americas North Men’s Championship 2024 campaign in spectacular fashion with a historic 19-14 victory over Bermuda.
The match, held in Ewarton on Saturday, marked Jamaica’s first Test match since a 42-14 defeat to the same opponents in March 2019.
Fielding a largely uncapped team, the Crocs defied expectations and recorded their first-ever win over Bermuda. Jamaica had previously lost five and drawn one of their six encounters with Bermuda, but this time they quickly established a commanding position. Hooker Owen Linton and full-back Michael Facey each scored early tries, putting Jamaica ahead 12-0 within the first 10 minutes. The Crocs maintained their lead into halftime.
Shortly after the restart, Linton scored his second try, and Aaron Lowe converted, extending Jamaica’s lead to 19-0. Bermuda mounted a comeback with two converted tries, setting up a tense finish, but Jamaica held on to secure a memorable win. This victory will see the Crocs rise one place to 65th in the World Rugby Men’s Rankings, while Bermuda will drop to 71st.
A month to prepare for their next challenge
Jamaica’s next match in North Zone 1A is scheduled for June 29th away to the Bahamas, giving the team just over a month to prepare for their next challenge.
Meanwhile, in another fixture, Barbados narrowly missed setting a new record win in Test rugby, beating St. Vincent and the Grenadines 80-0. Kevin Carter had a chance to break the current record of 81-0 against St. Lucia but missed the conversion. Carter replaced D’Andre Phillips, who set a Barbadian record with 25 points from five penalties and five conversions.
This win will elevate Barbados four places in the rankings to 78th, while St. Vincent and the Grenadines will drop to 84th. Barbados’ next match in South Zone 1A is against St. Lucia on June 8th.
The Rugby Americas North Men’s Championship 2024 is played under a round-robin format, with the competition split into North and South zones, each containing two divisions.
