Bermuda All Stars (HSG)

The Bermuda Girls High School All Stars debuted with a match against an Ariel Re All-Star squad at the 2016 Ariel Re Bermuda Sevens. This year the all stars will once again take the field at the Bermuda National Sports Center as part of the 2017 Ariel Re Bermuda Sevens.

Wednesday February 10, 2016 turned out to be an historic day on the island of Bermuda. The date marked Bermuda’s first ever girls’ high school rugby match. The match was just a month before the 2016 sevens tournament. On that memorable date, a team from CedarBridge Academy took on a squad from Berkeley Institute in a ten-a-side match held at the National Sports Centre’s North Field. 

CedarBridge Academy, playing in pink (see photo by Blaire Simmons, Royal Gazette), emerged victorious, scoring five tries to win 25-7 in front of crowds of students, friends and family members.

The fledgling players, some of whom have been training for only a few weeks, showed a great deal of skill and promise and were not afraid to get stuck into a tackle or ruck during the 30-minute game.

The women behind the successful event are Bermudian coaches Kelli Nusum, who also plays for the island’s adult women’s team, and Akinyi Apopa, who also coaches the Whitney Institute’s middle school boys’ team.

Although the match was between CedarBridge Academy and Berkeley Institute, Bermuda High School, Warwick Academy, Mount St Agnes and Bermuda College were all represented by at least one student.

The 2016 success of the Bermuda Collegiate Men's team has all returning teams in 2017 looking up and taking notice. Many of the Bermuda Collegians owe their success to the youth-based Beyond Rugby Program.