History of the World Rugby Classic

One has to wonder “Why Bermuda?” 3,000 plus miles from the coast of England, 650 miles from the United States, a dot of some 22 sq.miles in the Atlantic, the tip of an undersea mountain range…how could this small group of Islands become an attraction for so many international rugby players out of the top drawer of the game? Hardly a bastion of rugby, or so you would think! Well to answer that you have to cast your mind back to rugby in the early 1970’s when the only opportunity for an international rugby player to travel to “exotic” places was as part of the national team or be selected for the Lions tours to Australia, New Zealand or South Africa. Bermuda changed that thinking! In 1972 Bermuda started to invite some of the world’s greatest rugby players to pay a visit to its’ shores to join Bermuda-based players for a festival match. The idea succeeded to such an extent that by 1980 eight out of the top ten most capped players in the world had played in Bermuda. And out of that came a very simple thought. Why simply because a national selector decides to drop you from an international team should all those friendships, camaraderie and general bon homie of international rugby, so much a part of a player’s life, simply disappear? And so the World Rugby Classic entered the world of rugby in 1988 and provided a stage whereby players could extend their international careers and, more importantly, leave that stage when they so decided. And so Classic Rugby was born and the Seniors Rugby World Cup had arrived! As a result some of the great names in the game not only strutted their stuff, once again, upon a world stage, but they imparted to their younger internationals a feeling of what is great about this game of rugby, a game which is losing so much in this current era, this age when television dictates when you play and when playing for your country sometimes takes second place. Players like Willie John McBride, JPR Williams, Gavin Hastings, Philippe Sella, Andy Haden, Emile N’Tamack, Phil Kearns, Joost Van Der Westhuizen, Wade Dooley, Joe Stanley, Brain Vizard & Gareth Rees, to name but a few of the thousands of players over the years. Maybe being isolated out in the Atlantic has its advantages, and a visit to Bermuda in November will most likely confirm that. After all teams representing England, Ireland, Scotland, Wales, France, Argentina, Australia, New Zealand, South Africa, Canada, the United States, Spain, Portugal, Uruguay and a combined team representing Europe have made the journey over the years. The 22nd World Rugby Classic takes place from the 8th to the 14th November so come and see what they have been talking about for twenty years. You won’t be disappointed! Previous winners of the Classic: 1988 Wales 1989 New Zealand 1990 New Zealand 1991 New Zealand 1992 New Zealand 1993 Classic Barbarians (Ireland, Scotland and Wales) 1994 New Zealand 1995 New Zealand 1996 New Zealand 1997 Classic Lions (England, Ireland, Scotland and Wales) 1998 Classic Lions 1999 Argentina 2000 South Africa 2001 Classic Lions 2002 Classic Barbarians 2003 France 2004 South Africa 2005 South Africa 2006 Classic Lions 2007 South Africa 2008 Classic Lions With ten international matches in the Classic competition, a woman's international as well as an international match involving Bermuda and the Caribbean, the Classic has caught the imagination of players and spectators alike. With spectators able to mix freely with some of the great names of international rugby in a great social environment, Classic week is an event unique in the world of sport. Add in the ambiance of Bermuda with its magnificent beaches and golf courses, and you have the makings of an experience which you will want to repeat year after year.