PHC Zebras stood by yesterday as a game of musical chairs over tonight?s Champions Cup opponents continued behind the scenes.

And when the music stopped late yesterday afternoon it was second from bottom club Somerset Eagles who put their pride aside and took up the challenge after both North Village and Somerset Trojans declined offers to compete following Boulevard?s eleventh hour withdrawal from the inaugural tournament.

Bermuda Football Association (BFA) last night confirmed that Blazers had withdrawn and both Trojans and Village had refused an opportunity to fill the void.

Boulevard became the second club to pull out of the festive competition, which gets underway tonight at the Den with the Zebras taking on Eagles (9 p.m.) and St.David?s and Devonshire Colts locking horns in the preceding First Division Champions Cup clash, beginning at 7 p.m.

Last week saw First Division leaders Ireland Rangers exercise an option not to compete for fears of risking injuries to an already depleted team roster.

Blazers also have been hard-hit by injuries with eight players currently on the casualty list and three others travelling over the Christmas holiday, according to Boulevard coach John Rebello.

?We would?ve loved to have competed in the tournament but a lot of our players are injured and we can?t risk playing them back-to-back in this competition and we just don?t have the numbers,? he explained.

While promising teenager Angelo Simmons, Dennis Russell and Taurianno Trott are currently off the Island, defenders Stanton Lewis, Jahmarley Samuels, Meshach Wade and Albert Caisey along with team captain Melchisedec Gibbons, Marvin Belboda and Torry Davis are all nursing injuries.

?We thought we would have been okay but then Stan (Stanton Lewis) and Jahmarley (Jahmarley Samuels) both got hurt (on Sunday),? Rebello added.

?That?s two more senior players hurt and we can?t fill those voids as there?s absolutely nobody else available. There?s just no way possible we can play on Tuesday (tonight) and so a decision was made on Sunday night to withdraw from the competition while the BFA were notified yesterday morning.?

The association?s unveiling of the new competition, said Rebello, had taken everyone by ?surprise?.

He added: ?We really don?t feel bad about pulling out because this was not something we were told about before the season started or something we had planned for.

?It?s something that was brought up two weeks ago and it makes absolutely no sense because it certainly doesn?t help football . . . throwing this (tournament) in at the last minute.

?And I don?t think you can be upset with Ireland Rangers or us for pulling out because at the end of the day my team needs a break and injuries have taken a toll on our players. I would like to assume they (BFA) did have something else in place because if this was something they really wanted to do, then why didn?t this come out at the beginning of the season?

?Something else must have been in place before that fell through the cracks and this is what we are left with. All this new tournament really is, is the Dudley Eve Trophy competition all over again ? but with a different format.?

The new Champions Cup tournament features six double-headers, starting tonight, to be held over the holiday period in a double elimination format culminating with the final on January 2.

There is a $12,000 cash incentive at stake with the eventual Premier Division winner of the Champions Cup set to pocket $3,000 while $2,000 is up for grabs in the First Division.

Champions Cup action continues on Thursday night at Somerset Cricket Club with St.George?s taking on Prospect United and Dandy Town and Devonshire Cougars squaring off in the nightcap.

Second round action will be held on Boxing Day and again on Tuesday, December 28.

The penultimate round is to be held on Thursday, December 30 with the final to be played on Sunday, January 2 at White Hill Field.

Devonshire Recreation Club, Somerset Cricket Club, St. David?s and Southampton Oval will host the competition.

Dandy Town, PHC Zebras, Devonshire Cougars and Somerset Eagles will compete for the Premier Division Champions Cup title while the First Division Champions Cup will be contested between Prospect, Devonshire Colts, St.George?s and St.David?s.