An organisation has been formed to help former Cup Match players in need.

Established a year ago, the Former Cup Match Players and Officials Association has a mission to “provide former Cup Match players who need financial assistance with support for healthcare and other essential living needs”.

The mission is also to assist in mentoring young aspiring Cup Match players in an effort to “protect, preserve and promote the significance of Cup Match”.

“Former Cup Match players who are in need of assistance, that is what we want to provide,” said Dean Minors, a former St George’s Cup Match wicketkeeper, who is the president of the association. Their immediate goal is to obtain charity status.

It was a comment made by St Clair “Brinky” Tucker a couple of years ago when he was honoured by Heritage Productions as a former Cup Match player, that sparked the interest in setting up the organisation.

“He said he would like to see a dollar donated by every person attending Cup Match to help former players in financial need,” Minors said.

“That planted the seed and it was decided to form the organisation.

“The aim is to help former players who are in need of assistance, whether financial or health related. We also want to make charitable donations, so our main goal is to get charity status and we will be submitting an application for that.

“One of the events we’re putting on is a golf tournament on August 13 at Port Royal Golf Club, a fund raising event, and we’re encouraging former Cup Match players and other former players to be a part of this event. We will be making a donation to a charitable cause.

“Then in September we’re hoping to hold a cricket game for former Cup Match players. We’re also going to encourage a membership drive and want to get as much feedback and ideas as we can in order to make this organisation a success.”

Players interested in participating in the golf tournament are urged to contact one of the committee members. Tucker is a founding member of the organisation along with former Cup Match players Eugene “Buck” Woods, the vice-president, and Joe Bailey. Radell Tankard, of Heritage Productions, and Sally Trott, as secretary, are the other committee members.

“We’re looking to bring the connection between the former players and the current players, to bridge that gap,” explained Minors, who played in Cup Match between 1988 and 2007 and whose 20 dismissals is fifth highest for wicketkeepers.

Keeping the traditions of Cup Match alive is one of the objectives of the organisation, an event which is now 114 years old.

“In the past two years I’ve been one of the persons going to Somerset and St George’s and explaining the significance of Cup Match so that they will realise that they are not only representing their clubs but also representing Bermuda because it is being streamed all around the world,” said Woods, a former Somerset fast bowler whose career spanned nine years between 1953 and 1962.

“I have emphasised the necessity for the players’ behaviour during Cup Match to be impeccable. I’ve seen evidence of it where one or two players have had disputable dismissals but they stopped for a moment and then just walked off the field.”

Another of the group’s main objectives is to research, write, publish and promote the history and significance of Cup Match, the island’s biggest sporting event.

“Since I met Mr Woods I have been on a history lesson,” Minors said. “I know now more about the meaning of Cup Match than when I was playing and if the players of today understand that history they would play with a lot more pride.”