Bermuda’s Under-19 men’s rugby squad is poised for a challenging and exciting week as they compete in the 2025 Rugby Americas North (RAN) Men’s U19 XVs Tournament. The competition returns to the familiar grounds of FC Total in Querétaro, Mexico, running from July 9th to 12th.
Federación Méxicana de Rugby has secured the hosting rights for this event through 2026, with the FC Total facility offering top-tier amenities.
Bermuda will be joined by five other nations in this year’s tournament: the Cayman Islands, Jamaica, hosts Mexico, Trinidad & Tobago, and the United States.
The Bermuda Men’s Under 19 Team comprises: Cameron Addiscot, Michael Barclay, Sam Jenkins, Jahkeel, Daniel Kunst, Thomas Macloughlin, Dylan Sandster, Nyindae Smith, Asher Wheddon, David Barclay, Osiris Buffinge-Hunt, Matthieu Deguay, Henry Kerr, Jaden Obas-Simons, Brandon Sangster, Ramsey Souter, Rowan Stewart, and Michael Tadman.
The tournament format will see intensive Pool Play across the first two days, Wednesday, July 9th and Thursday, July 10th. Matches during these pool stages will be shortened to 40 minutes per game. Following a rest day on Friday, the competition will culminate with full 70-minute Finals on Saturday, July 12th.
Bermuda will be looking to build on their strong ranking as they face a demanding schedule. Their opening Pool Play matches on Wednesday, July 9th, include a clash against hosts Mexico at 9:00 AM (Central Time), followed by a match against the Cayman Islands at 12:00 PM (Central Time).
Pool Play Day Two on Thursday, July 10th, will see Bermuda take on Trinidad & Tobago at 10:00 AM (Central Time), before concluding their pool matches against Jamaica at 1:00 PM (Central Time).
The tournament provides a crucial development platform for young Bermudian rugby talent, offering high-level international competition and a chance to prove themselves against the best in the region. All matches are expected to be streamed live on RugbyPass TV (RPTV), World Rugby’s streaming platform.
Here’s the press release from Bermuda Rugby:
Querétaro, Mexico — After a long period of travel from Bermuda on Sunday and arriving in the small hours of the morning, the island’s U19 national rugby squad is now settling into Querétaro ahead of the Rugby Americas North (RAN) Men’s U19 XVs Tournament, set to begin Wednesday, July 9.
This year, Bermuda enters the competition as defending silver medallists, following a glowing 2024 campaign that saw the U19s reach the tournament final for the first time in recent years, ultimately falling to USA South in a spirited 27–14 battle, but one that served as a breakthrough moment for Bermuda’s youth rugby programme. That performance marked the island’s second-best finish at the competition, next to 2010’s tournament win in the Bahamas.
Now, with pride and pressure in equal measure, Bermuda returns with a new-look squad and a continued commitment to development.
“We’re proud to be back at the RAN Championships representing Bermuda,” said Coach Anthony Cupidore. “This year’s team is younger, but incredibly eager to make their mark. After a long travel day, we’ll be spending the next two days acclimating to the altitude and heat, sharpening our focus and building cohesion before the first whistle on Wednesday.”
Cupidore continued: “We’re a squad of nineteen with only five of last year’s players returning. Today’s training session was a combination of fun games, hard tackling and extreme fitness as we push them hard together as a team, as well as show them their strengths and weaknesses.
We have one more session tomorrow to build on both and we’re looking forward to pitting ourselves against Mexico in the opening game on Wednesday.”
The 2025 squad reflects both promise and transition. Twelve of the nineteen players are making their international debut on this tour, a sign of both the growing pipeline of local athletes and the impact of post-pandemic disruption on athlete retention and readiness across this age bracket. Bermuda’s rugby pathway continues to rebuild, and competitions like the RAN U19s play a critical role in developing match experience, confidence, athlete development and love for the game.
Hosted at FC Total in Querétaro for the second year, the tournament brings together national U19 squads from Bermuda, Mexico, Cayman Islands, Jamaica, Trinidad & Tobago, and the USA. Games will be streamed live, with pool matches running July 9–10 (in a shortened format), followed by full-length finals on Saturday, July 12.
This year’s event also serves as a vital lead-up to the U20 Rugby Sevens Youth Pan American Games, taking place next month in Asunción, Paraguay. With several players expected to compete in both tournaments, the back-to-back international fixtures offer a valuable opportunity to build continuity, sharpen match fitness, and strengthen long-term player retention in Bermuda’s national programme.
“We’re not taking anything for granted,” said Cupidore. “Last year was a tremendous achievement for Bermuda, but every year presents new challenges. We’re here to compete, learn, and represent our island with pride.”
The Bermuda Rugby Football Union extends heartfelt thanks to CG Coralisle, whose continued sponsorship has been instrumental in enabling the team’s participation on the international stage.
Bermuda U19 National Squad – RAN XVs 2025
Forwards
Cameron Addiscot
Michael Barclay
Sam Jenkins
Jahkeel Smith
Daniel Kunst
Thomas Macloughlin
Dylan Sangster
Nyindae Smith
Asher WheddonSzaine Williams
Backs
David Barclay
Osiris Buffonge-Hunt
Matthieu Deguay
Henry Kerr
Jaden Obas-SimonsBrandon Sangster
Ramsey Soutter
Rowan Stewart
Michael TadmanCoaches: Anthony Cupidore & Chris Naylor
Team Manager: Jeff Sangster
For the full tournament schedule, as well as Bermuda’s fixtures, visit RAN’s site: https://www.americasnorth.rugby/news/schedule-and-streaming-announced-for-2025-ran-mens-u19s-tournament. The tournament will be streamed lived on RugbyPass TV (RPTV), World Rugby’s streaming platform. For regular updates on the tournament and to follow the team’s progress, follow Bermuda Rugby on Instagram and Facebook: @BermudaRugby
