T&T, currently on a stringent pathway of widening its sporting disciplines and shining its brand of athleticism excellence for impressive national and international competitiveness – is noted for its sweet-hand, bubbling-a-pot, love-to-eat culture.
And so, on June 10, an initiative to help engender camaraderie, boost morale, grow membership and sharpen sporting skills in the rugby discipline, saw the Harvard Club’s rugby family out in full force with bats and balls turned-down, and serving spoons, eye patches, sails, bandanas, skulls and lanterns turned-up.
Ahoy, ahoy!!! Pirates invaded the Harvard Rugby Family Kitchen.
Holding fast to their conviction that rugby players can cook too, players and members netted big, serving-up menus that included succulent arts of meat this, a fund-raiser carded as one of their celebratory events commemorating the club’s 75th anniversary this year.
For the sake of sport, this $150 culinary art, entertainment and culture one-pot revealed families, friends, supporters, children, the wider membership; music; bouncy castles; the Pirate’s Wish, competitions; recognition of wedding anniversaries and birthdays; and a well-stocked bar.
With a no-piracy policy aboard this vessel on Serpentine Road, St James, from 11:30 am to late afternoon, those with insatiable appetites ate to capacity staring food to spare in their plate, while contemplating the dessert still on the horizon to partake of.
No pint o’ rum in the pot
Apart from the traditional side-dishes of vegetable rice, creamed potatoes, lentil peas, callaloo, and salad, the meat dishes were a culinary culture to behold – visually appealing, palatably satisfying and descriptively intriguing.
Standing-out among some of the salivating arts of meat were: Treasure Cove Lamb, Scallywags Delight, Father and Son Fish, Ahoy There Pork, Mermaids Delight, Shipwrecked Goat, Pirates Code Chicken, Jack Sparrow Secret Pork, Pickaroons Lamb, and Galleons Chicken.
Welcoming female players to the Harvard rugby machinery for the first time, this year, and in-keeping with the sporting thrust of increasing, respecting and protecting Women in Sport as vehemently championing by Brian Lewis, Board member of Havard Club and SIGA, and president of the TTOC and CANOC, and others of open mind, globally, guests were served in part, by female rugby pirates chefs who educated on their respective dishes.
While the two DJs kept guests in high interactive spirit, veteran calypsonian Carlos “Skatie” James added to the hype with many infectious, nostalgic renditions.
With lots of fun aboard, the Beard Competition bubbled-up from a call by Master of Ceremony Thabiti Benjamin for guests with the best (natural) beard.
Stirring-up competitors, the competition was won by pirate chef Asa Lewis, but in a category of his own, pirate chef Kenny Arneaud, displayed an outstanding fake pirate’s beard non-surpass.
Of course, integral to ensuring sport, art, culture and entertainment stay alive, grow, and succeed to fulfilment, keen and ongoing attention must be paid to children. Handsomely catered to, the one-pot saw children exhibiting their jumping and flipping skills in the bouncy castles. They too, partook of the culinary masterpieces and scrumptious desserts.
So, pirates are people too!!
As the vessel’s sails were being lowered, serving receptacles and tables cleaned-up, in simmering mode, pirates and guests broke loose in true trini style to Skatie’s version of seven-time soca monarch, Austin “SuperBlue” Lyons’ Soca Baptist.
Celebrating the success of the event; showing appreciation for the unstinting support, corporate partnerships, commitment of members; and exhilarated by the positive telescopic view of the Harvard Rugby Family – all who contributed are thanked.
As Lewis stated in his Trinidad Guardian’s May 15, 2017 column, “I will continue to lobby and advocate hard and relentlessly for respect and recognition for a sport industry in T&T.”
Perhaps, this vision will be soon realised by way of the Harvard Club Funds from the event go towards the continued improvement of the rugby team.
• For information to join the club or rugby family: 684.8421
