Chris Naylor hailed his Bermuda side after they finished fourth at the Rugby Americas North Under-19 tournament in Jamaica.

Having narrowly missed out on a place in the final, with Jamaica advancing on points scored throughout the tournament, Bermuda still had the opportunity to claim a medal in the third-place play-off match against Mexico.

However, it was not be, as the opposition proved too strong, storming to a 31-0 victory. Despite the disappointment, head coach Naylor praised the endeavours of his squad.

“The boys have done themselves and Bermuda very proud and it has been a fantastic tour,” he said. “It has been fantastic for Bermuda rugby and the individuals involved.

“We are very confident in the development of this squad. Out of the 15 players, 11 of them will be back next year and that is a really exciting prospect with the potential of future development of this team moving forward.

Reflecting on the defeat by Mexico, Naylor offered no excuses.

“We were well beaten by the better team and they simply controlled the game for long periods,” he added.

“Our line speed and defence was perhaps not as good as it could have been, but Mexico hardly give us a sniff of a chance because they made very few mistakes.

“Sometimes you just have to suck it up and recognise when the better team won.”