Local rugby giants, Caribs RFC, yesterday made the perfect start to a highly anticipated season when the club dethroned the Harvard Club to lift the prized Sir Solomon Hochoy Cup at the annual T&T Rugby Football Union (TTRFU) Ruggerama, which was held at the Queen's Park Savannah, Port-of-Spain.Courtesy of a second half penalty from Ronald Silverthorne, and a try from Jamal Stewart, the 2012 League Championship and Ruggerama winning club went onto lift the first trophy up for grabs this season.
Both Caribs and Harvard went through their group matches unbeaten, with the former securing wins over Invictus (10-0) and Royalians (19-7), while the latter defeated South-based Rainbow (24-0), before being held 5-5 by Stag Trinidad Northern.Royalians finished third by virtue of the flip of a coin over Northern, as both teams finished regulation time tied without a score.The Ruggermama competition precedes the league competition, as well as several other prized tournaments, which is expect to be hotly contested with the top clubs seeking to dethrone Harvard which won all but one competition in 2012.
Select Results
Winner
Caribs 8 (Ronald Silverthone pen, Jamal Stewart try) v Harvard 0
Third place playoff
Northern 0 v Royalians 0
(Royalians won by flip of a coin)
Group A
Rainbow 22 v UWI 0
Harvard 24 v Rainbow 0
Harvard 5 v Northern 5
Group B
Caribs 10 v Invictus 0
Caribs 19 v Royalians 7
Royalians 12 v Invictus 5