Few rugby clubs make it to sixty years. Fewer still survive hurricanes, financial uncertainty, geographic isolation, and the changing tides of amateur sport while continuing to serve as a home for generations of players and supporters. Freeport RFC has done exactly that.

Founded in 1965 by the late Chris Cafferata, school teacher John Lively, and David Jenkins, Freeport RFC quickly became one of the premier rugby destinations in the Caribbean. The club property became well known for hosting the annual Easter Festival Rugby Tournament that welcomed touring sides from around the world.

A few years after the club’s founding, the clubhouse was added. The facility features something almost unheard of in grassroots rugby: a swimming pool just steps from the touchline. This is rugby in paradise after all.

At its peak, Freeport hosted more than 30 matches per season while players from the club represented the Bahamas National Team on the international stage. The club also became known for welcoming visitors from across the rugby world, building friendships and traditions that have lasted decades.

Reaching sixty years as the only rugby club on a small island in the Bahamas is remarkable on its own. Doing so after enduring challenges that would have crippled many clubs makes the achievement even more meaningful.

In 2016, Hurricane Matthew tore the roof from the clubhouse and blew the club’s storage shed over the fence into the neighboring YMCA property. Just three years later, Hurricane Dorian devastated the island. Flood waters rose roughly eight feet above sea level, swallowing the grounds and clubhouse. On an island at sea level, there is nowhere to hide when the flooding comes.

Yet even after the storms passed, rugby remained. Volunteers cleaned debris, repaired facilities, and rebuilt not just a clubhouse, but a gathering place for the community.

During the cleanup following Dorian, the club became the base of operations for Team Rubicon, a nonprofit disaster relief organization made up largely of U.S. military veterans. From the Freeport RFC grounds, volunteers coordinated efforts to assist residents throughout the island as homes and neighborhoods were restored.

Freeport RFC also played an important role in developing youth rugby in the Caribbean through its annual Youth International Rugby Festival. The tournament welcomed junior teams from Freeport, Nassau, the Cayman Islands, Bermuda, and the United States, creating lifelong memories and friendships for hundreds of young players. While the COVID pandemic brought the event to a halt, its impact remains part of the club’s legacy.

“Throughout our history, we have welcomed thousands of visitors, touring teams, and countless boats from around the world,” said Freeport RFC President Rob Speller. “There are too many people to thank, but we hope throughout the weekend we can properly recognize those who have contributed so much to the club’s success.”

The perseverance and dedication shown by Freeport RFC deserves recognition across the rugby world. The club has continually faced adversity head on while preserving the spirit and culture that make grassroots rugby special.

Freeport RFC originally marked its 60th year with a tour to North Carolina to play the Clayton RFC Old Boys last October, but the home celebration was delayed so the club could properly honor the milestone with members, alumni, friends, and touring sides from around the world.

Last weekend, the club did exactly that with a three-day celebration that paid tribute to its founders, players past and present, the local community, and the many friendships built through rugby over six decades.

The festivities began Friday evening as guests gathered at the club for cocktails, beers, music, and plenty of storytelling. Touring visitors eased into island life with trips to Sands Brewery and the Bahamas Distilling Company, which is owned by a former Freeport RFC player. It was a fitting start to a weekend centered around rugby camaraderie and celebration.

Saturday served as the centerpiece of the anniversary weekend. Players gathered at the club throughout the afternoon, warming up beneath the Bahamian sun while spectators filled the clubhouse and sidelines.

The opening match featured the Clayton RFC Old Boys taking on G.I.T.S. (The Gentlemen’s Inner Toronto Selects). As expected with Old Boys rugby, the match was competitive but heavily social in spirit. Clayton opened the scoring before G.I.T.S. responded to level the match heading into halftime. Clayton eventually pulled away in the second half with help from a few local players to secure a 19-7 victory.

The feature match of the day saw the Freeport RFC Old Boys face the Viva Fortuna World Selects, an international side made up largely of players from Clayton RFC, G.I.T.S., and several additional touring guests.

The World Selects embodied the global spirit of grassroots rugby with players representing the United States, Canada, Scotland, England, Jamaica, the Bahamas, Cayman Islands, Wales, Puerto Rico, and beyond.

The home side came out firing, racing to a 21-0 halftime advantage behind strong continuity and physical play. The World Selects answered early in the second half to cut the lead to 21-5 and began stringing together several quality phases, but Freeport held firm before responding with a few more entertaining tries to close out a 38-5 victory.

More important than the scoreline was the atmosphere surrounding the occasion. The rugby was spirited, physical, and played in the right way. It honored both the club’s history and the enduring culture of grassroots rugby.

G.I.T.S. Director Jim Pottow summed things up best afterward in jest:

“We look forward to inviting everyone up to Canada, in January, to play the return match.”

Within minutes of the final whistle, players traded in their boots for poolside beers as the famous Freeport RFC recovery session began. Grills fired up beside the pool while music filled the air and conversations stretched from old rugby stories to new friendships.

This was club rugby at its finest. No pretense, just current and former players, touring sides, families, and supporters sharing meaningful moments together.

Before dinner, Freeport RFC President Robert Speller and other club dignitaries addressed the large crowd gathered pitchside, thanking everyone who helped shape the club over the past sixty years. Representatives from G.I.T.S., Clayton RFC, and the Cayman Islands also spoke, sharing gratitude and congratulating Freeport on reaching such an impressive milestone.

Guests were then treated to an outstanding seated dinner featuring local Bahamian cuisine before the evening took another memorable turn.

A Junkanoo band arrived at the club and paraded along the touchline with colorful costumes, rhythmic drumming, brass instruments, and dancing that electrified the crowd. Often referred to as the soul of Bahamian culture, the Junkanoo added a powerful local touch to an already emotional evening.

The significance of the performance was not lost on those in attendance. It was a celebration not only of rugby, but of community, culture, and identity.

Visitors remained at the club well into the night testing the limits of the bar and continuing the storytelling that defines rugby gatherings around the world.

On Sunday, players and traveling supporters gathered for a beachside social to close out the weekend. A little worn down from the previous night’s festivities, attendees enjoyed local food, ocean views, and one final opportunity to reflect on a special few days in paradise.

As always in rugby, the stories flowed freely. Tales become slightly exaggerated, laughs grew louder, and friendships become stronger.

Bottom of the Ruck would like to salute Freeport RFC for sixty years of rugby and community. The club has worked tirelessly to grow the game in a place where rugby is far from the mainstream. Their resilience in the face of hurricanes, economic challenges, and changing times is admirable and worthy of recognition throughout the rugby world.

For clubs looking for a touring destination unlike any other, Freeport RFC offers a truly unique grassroots rugby experience. Accessible from much of the eastern United States and Caribbean, the club combines rugby, island culture, unmatched hospitality, and one of the best social environments imaginable.

But weekends like this are about far more than travel or celebration.

Clubs like Freeport RFC are the heartbeat of rugby. They are built by volunteers, touring sides, shared meals, old stories, and generations of players willing to leave the jersey in a better place than they found it. 

For sixty years, Freeport RFC has provided more than just rugby on a small island in the Bahamas. They have built a strong community, preserved traditions, welcomed the world through their gates, and shown exactly what makes grassroots rugby so special. 

In an era where the sport often looks upward toward the professional game, weekends like this are a reminder that rugby’s soul will always live in clubhouses, on touchlines, and among the people who keep showing up for their clubs.