Bermuda’s football teams will not defend the gold medals they won at last year’s NatWest Island Games because of the hefty costs involved in sending two squads to Jersey next summer.

The Bermuda Football Association (BFA) had initially hoped to at least send the men’s team to Jersey, where the 2015 edition of the biennial event will be held, but withdrew their registration before the recent deposit deadline.

Jon Beard, the chairman of Bermuda’s Island Games Committee, said that, although he was disappointed that Bermuda would not be representated in the men’s or women’s competitions, he fully understood the BFA’s decision.

“We [the Island Games Committee] were hoping to cover accommodation costs for both teams but it’s one thing to send three of four athletes, it’s another thing to send two teams of 20-odd,” said Beard, a former long-serving BFA executive member.

“It’s obviously a very expensive venture and for the BFA it was a question of funding the air fare for two teams. It comes down to costs and I very much understand the BFA’s decision.”

At the previous Island Games, the first to be held in Bermuda, only the Falkland Islands, Froya, Hitra and Greenland took part in the football competitions. The Isle of Wight, Guernsey, Alderney, Gibraltar, the Isle of Man and Jersey’s were among the Islands that opted out because of the prohibitive travel costs.

Andrew Bascome’s men’s side defeated Greenland 3-0, Falkland Islands and Froya both by 8-0, before defeating Greenland 1-0 in the final at the North Field, National Sports Centre.

The women’s team, coached by Naquita Robinson, dismissed Greenland 5-1, Hitra 6-1 before edging Greenland 5-4 in a penalty shoot-out to also claim gold. Beard said that he was confident both teams could have been in the medal reckoning had they competed in Jersey, which is expected to host the biggest football tournament in the history of the Island Games.

Such are the expected number of teams that permission has been sought from the International Island Games Association to kick-off the men’s and women’s tournaments on the same day as the opening ceremony, so that they can be completed by the final day of competition.

“I’m fairly sure we could have medalled in Jersey and I’m confident that we had a good chance of maintaining the gold medal,” Beard said.

“It would have been a great test for us with the likes of Jersey, Guernsey, Gibraltar and the Isle of Man returning to the competition.

“It certainly would have been a lot harder [than in 2013] and I would have loved to have seen Bermuda against the full slate of other Islands.”

David Sabir, the BFA general secretary, said that the Association had a hectic competition schedule next year and were simply unable to financially commit to all of them.

“The Association had to review its financial position with regards to the costs to take its teams [to Jersey], which is unfortunately very expensive,” Sabir said.

“In light of the impending events in the region, the BFA had to consider whether or not we could do all of the competitions that we would like.

“The executive committee felt that [the Island Games] would not be possible.”

Jersey has 19 football clubs, many of which boast sports pitches and clubhouse facilities of a high standard.

A number of these will be used for training and competition purposes at the Island Games, which will be held from June 27 to July 3.