With the official kick off to the Cayman Islands Men’s Rugby Union XV’s domestic rugby season, the Heineken Charity Shield, being settled back on 15 December the real “meat and gravy” of Cayman Rugby, the Alex Alexander Memorial Trophy rolls out on 26 January 2013.

The Advance Fire & Plumbing Buccaneers secured the Heineken Shield for the first time with a win 14-12 win over the Century 21 Cayman Storm and have lined themselves up as early favourites to win the most coveted trophy in Cayman Islands Rugby.

The Alex Alexander trophy (sponsored by DART) is a league trophy fought for by four domestic rugby teams. The John Doak Architecture Iguanas, the Advance Fire & Plumbing Buccaneers, the Queensgate Pigs Trotters and the Century 21 Cayman Storm.

Each of the teams plays the other twice over a 3 month period looking to pick up league points. 4 points for a win, 2 points for a draw (no points for a loss) and bonus points are up for grabs with 1 bonus point being earned for scoring 4 or more tries in a game or for losing a game by less than 7 points meaning a maximum of 5 league points available for a win or a maximum of 2 league points available for a loss.

As rugby has grown in these Islands since its start in 1972 the Alex Alexander Trophy has spurred on the major improvements in quality of play and player for the Cayman Rugby Football Union. The brain child of former CRFU Club Captain and local boy Duane Bodden the trophy competition (named after the late Alex Alexander, a founding member of the Cayman Rugby Union) was designed to improve the fortunes of the Cayman Island National Rugby team in international competition by improving domestic competition. In the early days the trophy was competed for by 3 teams being the Iguanas, a team made up of Caymanians who formed the National Rugby side, the Buccaneers, a team of expat players and the Pigs Trotters, a team made up of Royal Cayman Islands Police Force officers.

The Pigs Trotters have won the trophy twice since the year 2000, whilst the Buccaneers are the most successful league team having won the trophy 5 times over the same period. The majority of the Buccaneers successes date back to the leagues early days with a highlight in 2009 when the Buccaneers won both the league and Vase knockout trophy.  The Iguanas have held the Trophy 4 times more recently with back to back wins in 2006, 2007 and again in 2010 and 2011.

The Cayman Storm, the youngest team out of the 4 competing is the incumbent league champion with their only other league success coming back in 2008 when they, like the Buccaneers after them, won both the Alex Alexander and the Vase knockout trophy. A feat that neither the Iguanas nor Pigs Trotters have achieved.

Whilst games are televised online on www.caymanrugbytv.com games can be watched (at no charge) in South Sound at the Cayman Rugby Football Club and spectators will not be disappointed with ample fast, hard hitting action!

Next games:

26 January 2013

2pm Century 21 Cayman Storm (Home) vs. Queensgate Pigs Trotters (Away)

4pm Advance Fire & Plumbing Buccaneers (Home) vs. John Doak Architecture Iguanas (Away)

2 February 2013

2pm John Doak Architecture Iguanas (Home) vs. Century 21 Cayman Storm (Away)

4pm Advance Fire & Plumbing Buccaneers (Home) vs. Queensgate Pigs Trotters (Away)

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Photos: By Caroline Deegan

The Buccaneers are early favourites to win the League with 1 trophy already in the bag.