Caribs, Harvard vie for Robert Farfan trophy

All four teams carded to challenge this year’s TT Rugby Football Union (TTRFU) championship division will be in action tomorrow, including last year’s respective league and knockout champions Harvard and Caribs RFC in the Robert Farfan Memorial Trophy.

The event, held annually in remembrance of former national stand-out rugger Robert Farfan, acts as both a league fixture and a one-off trophy match. The same teams locked horns for the trophy last year with Caribs taking a commanding 23-10 win.

In recent years, the fixture between Caribs and Harvard has become one of the most highly anticipated on the TTRFU calendar, much like the traditional Caribs vs Northern rivalry.

Harvard enter tomorrow’s match on a high, having won the championship title at the Ruggerama event last weekend with a win over Trinidad Northern in the final. The Ruggerama senior division was won by Exiles who defeated Caribs’ second team, and Police captured the women’s division after beating Royalians.

This year, the Robert Farfan Memorial will be played at Harvard Pitch, Queen’s Park Savannah. It will start at 4.30 pm after the season opening fixture between Trinidad Northern and Royalians, which kicks off at 3 pm at President’s Ground, St Ann’s.

Only Caribs, Harvard, Northern and Royalians will comprise the championship division this season.

Police Rugby Club were originally included in the competition but have asked to be relegated to the senior division, given their plans to focus on developing young and less experienced players this year.

The Under-23 boys national team, also originally included in the championship division, will compete in the senior division.

The senior division, which is expected to kick off on Sunday, comprises Caribs’ second team, Rydeus, a UWI/Tobago combination, Rainbow Sports and Culture Club, Defence Force and Exiles. The division will play a 10-a-side league, unlike the championship division which features the full 15-a-side competition.

The women’s division, also set to kick off on Sunday, is made up of Caribs, Harvard, Royalians, Rainbow and Police.

With the team withdrawals, the TTRFU is currently revising league fixtures.