The domestic rugby season will begin with the Mad Hatters Tournament at North Field, National Sports Centre, tomorrow.

The round-robin style tournament will pit Mariners, Police, Renegades and Teachers against each other in Women’s Touch Rugby and Men’s XVs.

The Mad Hatters tournament is sponsored by Mad Hatters Restaurant & Bar with custom trophies donated by the Jewett family.

Renegades claimed the women’s trophy, while Police dominated the Men’s games last season. With the international season concluding for men’s and women’s sevens and Men’s XVs, players are looking forward to kicking off the new season, which will operate in four rounds, ending in April.

As the women’s contact programme continues to grow after last year’s Inner Warrior campaign, a female Super League has been added to this year’s schedule. The full-contact games will be played in a tens format, with ten players per side and 20-minute halves. Of the upcoming season, a spokesperson for Bermuda Rugby said: “We’re looking forward to the start of the 2019-2020 season.

“The Mad Hatters Tournament is a fantastic way to kick off our domestic season, with the shortened game formats allowing for our players to get back on the field without the pressure of the regular season.

“We’re thrilled to be adding a Women’s Super League this year. Women’s contact rugby continues to grow in popularity and we look forward to recruiting new players and continuing to develop our programme.”