Bermuda's rugby players hope better preparation will pay off when they turn out on the international stage.

Testing competition has been few and far between for the national team over the years and consequently the game has not progressed as far as one might have hoped.

However, in a bid to put on a good showing in next year's Caribbean Championships which act as a qualifier for the 2007 World Cup, the Bermuda Rugby Football Union is upping the ante by exposing the Island's best players to overseas opposition on a regular basis.

Next week a squad of 35 players head off to the US for two matches and then at the forthcoming World Rugby Classic the team will take on a side from Boston and regional rivals the Cayman Islands.

"In the last few years we haven't had any international matches other than the last Caribbean qualifiers," said Bobby Hurdle, Bermuda's national captain. "What the BRFU is looking to do is get a few more matches in so that we can experience a bit more international competition, instead of just local club sides playing against each other every weekend."

Last year Bermuda was scheduled to take on Jamaica during the Classic but for a number of reasons that fell through.

"That saga ended with them not coming," Hurdle said. "So this year we started off the preparation early and Cayman confirmed their attendance."

In readiness for the visit between October 3 and 6, the squad will play New England A and New England Select B in Boston.

"The squad will comprise of a President's Select made up mainly of those who qualify to play for Bermuda and then their will be a Vice President's Select made up of the best of the rest," Hurdle said. "This will lead up to the following weekend when the Vice President's Select will play the Atlanta Renegades on the opening day of the Classic and then on the final day the national team will play Cayman in an international match."

Part of Bermuda's preparations include the appointment of a new head coach in Alvin Harvey.

"He has been putting us through our paces since July," said Hurdle. "The boys have been working hard. We are training twice a week with the national team and then at least once with our local clubs.

"Most guys are getting three days of full rugby practice a week. When we start this weekend with the Saturday tournament it's going to be four days. Hopefully, we will be nice and fit coming in."

Hurdle agreed that there was a more professional approach to the game on the Island now.

"In the last couple of years the guys, apart from playing against Teachers, Mariners, Renegades and Police, had nothing to look forward to," he said. "Now, at least this year we have this to look forward to. What we are ultimately looking towards, in November of next year, is the Caribbean Championships."

Hurdle said he expected the forthcoming games to be competitive affairs.

"Renegades Rugby Club just went on a tour to Atlanta and they lost, but not by much," he said. "Atlanta are a pretty good outfit and they should give our Select team a run for their money. That should be a pretty evenly contested game.

"The game against Cayman will be a bit of an unknown . . . Out of all the Caribbean countries they play the most similar game to Bermuda.

"The others have more of a back orientated team whereas we have always said our strength has been with the forwards and Cayman play a lot like that as well."

In the past Bermuda's part in the Classic has been as whipping boys to the powers of the game. Now Hurdle thinks spectators will see the best of the team.

"Although the Bermudians have been very supportive of us within the Classic, seeing a Bermuda team go down by quite large scores is not great," he said. "This game, however, will be very entertaining."

Hurdle has struggled with injury in the recent past, but hopes to have put those concerns behind him.

"I feel great. The knee has healed. I will be testing it for the first time in a `live' match on Saturday in the tens tournament but I have been going through practices all summer and it feels great now," he said.

As Hurdle pointed out the delayed local season will finally get underway this Saturday.

Rugby had been due to kick off on Friday, September 5 with a series of night matches at BAA Field.

But with Hurricane Fabian striking that day, and the lights at BAA having been out of action since, a change in schedule had to be made.

This Saturday afternoon will see the four local clubs - Renegades, Teachers, Mariners and Police - face off in the first two rounds of a ten-a-side tournament.

Each club will provide two teams - a first XV and a second XV - which will compete in a first and second division respectively

Matches will be played in a round-robin format with a championship style play-off in which the top two teams in each division after the round-robin phase will face off in a final to determine the winner.

Mariners, Police and Renegades will all be looking to knock off Teachers who won both divisions in the same tournament last year.

The schedule for the tournament is as follows:

Saturday

3.00 p.m. Teachers II v Police II

3.25 Mariners II v Renegades II

3.50 Teachers I v Police I

4.15 Mariners I v Renegades I

4.40 Renegades II v Police II

5.05 Mariners II v Teachers II

5.30 Renegades I v Police I

5.55 Mariners I v Teachers I

Saturday, September 27

3.00 Teachers II v Renegades II

3.25 Police II v Mariners II

3.50 Teaches I v Renegades I

4.15 Police I v Mariners I

5.00 First place II v Second place II

5.35 First place I v Second place I