Bermuda players Hadleigh Tucker and Jahniko Francis made a brilliant start for Rugby West Indies by scoring in the men's team's 28-14 triumph over Saratoga Jockeys at the Tropical Sevens in Tampa, Florida, on Good Friday.

Tucker scored a try and four conversions while Francis notched a five-pointer in the pair's first appearance for the revived team at Tampa Sportsplex.

Francis and Tucker, alongside their team-mates from the Caribbean, could not build on that first win. They went on to lose 26-12 to Black Goats as well as 34-12 against champions Crewmen.

With three more matches scheduled on Saturday, the final day of North America’s biggest rugby festival, Tucker, who also booted in a conversion against Black Goats, is optimistic about ending the tournament on a high.

West Indies conclude the two-day competition when they face Great Danes Select, Boston Rugby Select and Pirates Sevens.

“Getting the first points was a great feeling and we had a lot to think about after the two losses,” the Bermuda sevens captain told The Royal Gazette.

“Having not played with many of the team members, hopefully, we will come together on Saturday for the next couple of games and end the competition with wins.”

Speedster Francis thought that they should have gone for the kill in the matches they lost. West Indies were 12-0 in front against Black Goats, while the score was 12-12 at the break when they faced Crewmen.

“Scoring for West Indies on my debut felt really good,” the 26-year-old said.

“In the two matches that followed, we took our foot off the pedal and allowed our opponents to get back into the games.”

The women’s side, featuring the Bermuda duo of Corrie Cross and Najee Pitt-Clarke, triumphed 22-17 against National Athletic Village and 34-7 over Phoenix, before losing the last match of the day 20-12 to MacDowell of Canada.