Caribs Rugby Club has taken the Bruno Browne Cup for the third straight year, but more importantly, the Beer Boys scored four tries, the minimum required for a bonus-point win to reclaim the T&T Rugby Football Union (TTRFU) Toyota Championship Division for the first time in two years, on Saturday.
Immediately after losing the Raffe Hosein Cup, 19-3 to Stag Trinidad Northern, at the Queen's Park Oval, Tragarete Road, Caribs Rugby Club put forth its best effort to secure the Championship title, whipping Northern 24-10, while leaving 2012 league champion Harvard Rugby Club for second place by a single point.
Harvard, which won the Championship for the first time in its history last year needed a bonus point with a massive win, while hoping that Caribs fail to secure a bonus-point victory over Northern. Harvard played its part in a whopping 165-14 win over Rainbow, simultaneously at Exiles Ground, Gasparillo, for the biggest margin of victory recorded in the division this season, but the day belonged to Caribs.
The Beer Boys, from Zoo Road, came out massive in the first half of the Bruno Browne, which ended 19-7 in its favour, through tries from Jamal Clark, Anderson Joseph and Jamaal Stewart. Stewart converted two of the three tries.
To claim the coveted league title, a win was not enough for Caribs, which needed one more try to claim a bonus point (once its wins the match). In the end, it was another try from Clark which gave Caribs the all-important five points. Had it not been for that try, Harvard may have won the title on "goal-difference" after its one-sided bonus point victory in Gasparillo. Northern was denied a try in the first half, and was instead awarded a penalty, which failed to find the target. Gordon Dalgliesh got the losing team's only try in the first half, which was converted by James Walklin. Walklin also scored a penalty in the second half to give Northern hope, but Caribs was relentless.
The most successful rugby club in T&T, Caribs celebrated its 14 league title in 20 years and its 32nd Bruno Browne title since the cup's inception in 1961. Northern, which last won it in 2010 has won it 18 times, while the two teams shared the trophy with draws on three occasions.
Bernard Yetming, a veteran of Caribs, who replaced an unavailable head-coach Brendan O'Farrell at yesterday's match was elated with his team's win.
"We really wanted to win the game. Of course we are extremely happy. When we went out to play, we knew we needed the four tries. (But) The first thing we concentrated on was the win. But, it was more important that we won the league."
He said Northern put up a strong challenge and despite his team's ability to score more tries, he was still surprised to get the four required for a bonus point.
"We didn't expect that. We always thought it would be difficult. Northern is a strong team and it is never easy to score four (tries) on them."
"We did take our foot off the pedal in the second half. In the end it was special. Bruno Bowne is a huge event, with both teams always come out to win. It's a lot more than a game. What made it more special is that we won the league."
He also offered praise for Harvard, the runner-up. "Harvard is still a good team. They have a good group of young talent and ability."
In Gasparillo, Larry Mendez's team knew it stood a chance of taking the title, had Caribs lost, drawn or won without a bonus point. Its objective was then to win by the highest possible margin. In total, 25 tries were scored, 20 of which were converted.
Captain Claudius Butts ran riot with seven tries, while Vallon Adams got four. Wayne Kelly, Keston Earle, Jamal Alexander, Joseph Quashie and Shakeel Dyte scored two tries each, with the balance of the tries coming from Rowell Gordon, Jerry Legall, Aaron Rocke and Ryan Hinckson, who got one each. Hinckson converted 12 tries, while Jerome O'Brien for eight and Butts and Quashie one each.