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Bahrain rugby said goodbye to one of its great characters last weekend by staging a never-seen-before event to commemorate the occasion.
Charlie Fraser, a veteran of Bahrain’s various teams over the past six years, is moving to Australia and his teammates in the Bahrain Golden Oldies gave him an unforgettable send-off by playing the first ever rugby match ever staged on Jarada Island.
The narrow strip of land, essentially a sandbar 25km out to sea off Bahrain’s eastern coast, was the perfect setting for the farewell.
The game was played under touch rugby rules, unless a player stepped into the sea after which they could be tackled fully, and featured two teams of seven players.
Fraser, 41, who was a finance lecturer at Bahrain Polytechnic, is a native Kiwi but is moving back to his wife Abby’s homeland, Australia, with sons Sam and Zac.
He said: “I’ve been involved with Bahrain’s rugby teams for the past six years, firstly with the first team and then the second team, before racking up 80 caps with the Golden Oldies.
“It’s a great group and the camaraderie is fantastic, so it was great to go out and do something unique. I will miss the rugby club and the guys here immensely, I’ve made so many friends over the past decade. I’ll try and catch up with them again in the future and join them on their tours.”
The idea to play a game on Jarada has been in gestation for a number of years, according to rugby club chairman Mike Cunningham. He explained: “It’s been discussed jokingly for a couple of years now, as a number of the Golden Oldies have boats and we take numerous trips there during the summer.
“One day, we were there when the tide was low and it was just a long stretch of beach. We decided it would be the perfect place to play.
“We set up a gazebo as a makeshift clubhouse, and decided to host the first ever Jarada International Rugby Tournament! It was one game, with 10-minute halves, but it’s been christened now!”
The opportunity came at the perfect time, as the rugby club’s traditional grass pitches are being reseeded and fertilised ready for the new season which kicks off any the summer holidays. New turf has been laid down too, so the club is trying to limit activity on the pitches as much as possible.
After the monumental occasion, the last word was Fraser’s as he reflected on his time in Bahrain. “All I want to say is cheers to the boys. It’s been an honour and privilege to play with such a great bunch of guys. It definitely isn’t goodbye.”
