Our B.V.I. Adventure

On Tuesday night, the BVI Rugby team played a special match against the servicemen aboard the HMS Manchester.  The HMS Manchester is a Type 42 Batch 3 Destroyer, one of the oldest ships in the British Royal Navy's fleet.

In the weeks leading up to the match, Michael and I had been coached about the rules of the game by the captain of the BVI Rugby team.  He's a fixture of Friday nights at the pub.

The match was as physical as we expected.  Two men were taken away on stretchers, put in ambulances bound for the hospital.  Here's a quick video - it also includes the final score if you're wondering who won the match...oh, and the BVI team is in green and white.



These two teams have a long history. They started playing years ago, when Royal Navy engineers came to the BVI to aid in the building of the original airport.

Charles has been here for all of the matches over the years, on the sidelines with video camera in hand.


After the match, Charles replays the match at Pusser's Pub in Road Town. It was wall-to-wall Rugby players and other servicemen and women on Tuesday night.  You just have to see this video, as the teams were recognized for their effort in the traditional way.



Charles introduced us to the CO of the ship, Rex Cox, seen here with Charles...


We had an absolute blast!  We stayed out way too late, but even as an observer, it was truly an enjoyable night.  Here are a few other photos from the match...



Cheers!