A year after Cayman’s national rugby women’s team beat Bermuda, the teams met once again, but this time the outcome was flipped.
After an exciting doubleheader in June 2025 where the Cayman women celebrated a 47-37 victory on home soil at a packed Truman Bodden Sports Complex, the rivalry shifted locations to Bermuda’s National Stadium North Field.
In an international friendly match on Saturday, 4 July, Bermuda capitalised on their home-field advantage to secure a 67-32 victory over the Cayman squad.
Growth despite loss
“Although we lost, I was so happy with the improvements we made over a two-week span since playing against Jamaica last month,” said Cayman’s head coach Jaz Gray.
“We want to be a team that plays for each other and leaves it all on the pitch. People say that phrase a lot “leave it all out there”, but we have learned you have to tap into a special place in your brain to actually do that,” said Gray.
Gray added, “We have a very young team, and I am super excited for the future! We took some lumps this summer, but we have laid a solid foundation for this next season.”
Echoing coach Gray’s sentiments, Cayman’s team captain Zororo Mutomba expressed her pride for her team, saying, “While the result was not what we wanted, we have improved a lot from our match against Jamaica and it’s only going to keep getting better.”
She added, “Our support lines were better, and we were able to get a few tries because of that. The grit our team possessed until the final whistle is something to be very proud of. Bermuda is a strong team.
“Their speed on the wings was immense, and we just couldn’t shut them down on that end. Going forward we’re going to work on getting our kicking game stronger.”
For Mutomba, who said the team had experienced many changes in the last year, other areas the squad aims to work on include having consistent stronger tackles, conditioning and “cleaning up how we go into contact to keep possession”.
“Overall, we’re at a good point for growth and I’m excited for what we’ll produce in our games moving forward,” she said.
Long-term partnership
In a Facebook post, Cayman Rugby said that, while it was not the result they came for, Bermuda’s pace and experience proved to be the ultimate difference on the day, adding,
“If there’s one thing this [Cayman] team can hold their heads high about, it’s that they left absolutely everything on the field.”
Cayman Rugby noted that this summer has been about far more than results, serving instead as a period defined by growth, resilience and pride.
“New caps earned. New faces stepping up. Players fighting their way into starting jerseys. Through injuries, retirements, semi-retirements and player unavailability, this group never stopped showing up for each other and for Cayman Rugby,” they added.
Beyond the game itself, Cayman Rugby expressed excitement about developing a long-term partnership alongside Bermuda Rugby.
“We’re excited to develop alongside Bermuda Girls’ and Women’s Rugby, whose players, coaches and volunteers continue to create opportunities for the game to thrive. We look forward to building on this partnership for years to come and can’t wait to meet again on the rugby field,” Cayman Rugby said.
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