JOHN KANE has called it the biggest sporting event in Bermuda.

As creator and long-time organiser of the World Rugby Classic, he might be a tad biased.

But there's no doubting the impact the annual event has had on this Island, from both a sporting and economic standpoint.

Quite simply, it's been a monumental success, and surprisingly so given the comparative lack of interest in rugby in Bermuda during the remaining 51 weeks of the year.

Kane and his faithful band of volunteers have managed to perfect a formula for sporting excellence and social entertainment which, during a single week in November and regardless of the weather, manages to attract thousands to National Sports Club for every match.

Many -- in fact the vast majority -- likely don't have a clue about the game, don't understand the rules, have never played it and aren't in any way familiar with those on the pitch who in other parts of the rugby world are practically worshipped.

But they watch with interest, cheer with enthusiasm, identify their own favourites .. and then retire under the Big Top where the party continues.

This year, on finals night in particular, the crowd seemed bigger than ever.

If hard-done-by Renee Webb felt slighted because she couldn't get VIP parking, she might spare a thought for the dozens of mere mortals who were forced to park hundreds of yards away and still ended up with a ticket. But as one happy camper noted on discovering the addition to his windscreen: "I've been parking here all week and this is my first ticket, so it's not a bad price to pay.'' It's that kind of spirit which seems to epitomise the Classic.

And one wonders why other sports organisations in Bermuda haven't tried to follow suit.

If rugby can become such a huge attraction, then why not a World Soccer Classic or a World Cricket Classic? Imagine the interest if we were to host a tournament on similar lines featuring soccer stars of 35 years or older, or cricketers of the same era.

Platini, Lineker, Mathhaeus, Zico, Socrates, Maradona all on the same pitch.

The prospect's mouth-watering.

Why not? There's no reason why it couldn't work.

As the Rugby Classic has proven, Bermuda is the ideal venue for a tournament of this sort, where the accent isn't so much on competition but on having a good time.

Last Saturday night's finalists, South Africa and Argentina, might both have desperately wanted to win, but it's unlikely that defeat for the Pumas detracted too much from a week in which the spirit of fair play rose above all else.

In an age when drugs and a win-at-all-costs mentality has taken the fun out of many professional sports, there's no doubt lessons can be learned from events such as the Classic.

Tourism Minister David Allen could do worse than look at the possibilities of similar events.

*** THE last time I looked on the map, Bermuda was still some 660 miles off Cape Hatteras.

And as far as I can determine, most Bermudians still prefer English as their first language.

All of which may come as a surprise to the bods at Bermuda Cablevision who, judging from the ESPN Sports Network feed which they pump into our living rooms 24-hours a day, appear to be under the impression that we're a part of Latin America.

It might be my imagination, but aren't we now getting more events telecast in Spanish than in English? Given the gibberish of soccer commentator Tommy Smith, that can at times be a blessing. But by and large, most sports watchers consider it a major irritant.

In this age of advanced technology, surely Cablevision can do better! -- ADRIAN ROBSON