RUGBY – BAHRAIN’S First XV rugby team wrapped up their undefeated, title-winning season in the 2025-26 Men’s West Asia Premiership with the honouring of their top players from the recently concluded campaign.
Bahrain Rugby Club (BRC) announced yesterday the winners of a series of individual awards from its senior men’s rugby squads, headlined by the First XV’s leading performers.
The kingdom’s top-tier side were earlier this month confirmed as the new Men’s West Asia Premiership champions after the remainder of the season’s schedule – which was headed into the semi-finals with Bahrain as the number one seeds – was cancelled due to the unfortunate events that are currently taking place in the region.
The Bahraini outfit enjoyed an incredible unbeaten run in their competition’s preliminary stage, taking 12 wins from as many fixtures and scoring a dominant 59 out of a maximum 60 points on the league table. Amongst the First XV’s exceptional players from 2025-26 were Jack Hocking, Andries De Kock, and Gregor Smith.
Hocking was named their Players’ Player, while De Kock was selected as the Player of the Season and Smith emerged as the Top Try Scorer.
First XV teammates Greg Heath and Deina Morete also came away with awards for their outstanding contributions to their squad.
Meanwhile, players from Bahrain’s Second XV were also celebrated following their participation in Men’s UAE Division One Rugby.
Martin Prinsloo and Joseph Rizzardi both took home accolades. Prinsloo bagged two awards, taking both the Players’ Player and Top Try Scorer honours for the Second XV, while Rizzardi was chosen as their Player of the Season.
Also part of BRC’s list of awardees were Cooper Comrie and Dylan Vermulen. Comrie was recognised as Most Improved Senior Player of 2025-26, while Vermulen was adjudged to be the Young Player of the Season.
All the winners were presented with trophies for their performances, while Bahrain’s First XV also celebrated with their Men’s West Asia Premiership trophy and gold medals.
This past season, the First XV swept their games against tough opposition, including the First XVs of the Dubai Hurricanes, the Abu Dhabi Harlequins, the Dubai Dragons, the Dubai Sharks, the Dubai Exiles, and Doha.
This year marked the second straight campaign in which they won all their fixtures in the preliminaries of the Men’s West Asia Premiership.
Bahrain regained the regional title they last won in the 2022-23 season. Meanwhile, the Second XV were in fourth place in Men’s UAE Division One Rugby when the season was suddenly halted. They had won four of their six matches played at the time.
The other sides in their competition were the First XVs of the Dubai Tuskers, Shaheen RFC, the Dubai Tigers, and the Al Ain Amblers, along with the Second XVs of the Dubai Dragons, Dubai Exiles, Abu Dhabi Harlequins, and the Dubai Sharks.
patrick@gdnmedia.bh
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