Carioca Cricket Club Hosts Nationals on June 3rd-4th in Rio: Sponsored

By Jay Forte, Contributing Reporter

RIO DE JANEIRO, BRAZIL – The Carioca Cricket Club (CCC) in Rio de Janeiro will host the Granado National Cricket Championships at their grounds at the São Fernando Polo and Cricket Club near Itaguaí, on Saturday, June 3rd and Sunday, June 4th. The event will be a family affair promising plenty of cricket as well as activities for all the guests.

Craig Allison the outgoing CCC President explains the format. “The six competing teams in this year’s Nationals are: São Paulo, Minas Gerais, “Brazuka” (an all-Brazilian team of young players from Poços de Caldas), All Stars (a mixed team with players from Brasilia, Curitiba and elsewhere), and plus two teams from Rio: the Carioca Cricket Club Lions & the Carioca Cricket Club Tigers.”

Last year it was São Paulo that took the tournament, and this year Allison admits that the are the team to beat, “São Paulo come here as the title-holders and the perennial favorites, but Brazuka are an unknown quantity and may surprise.”

Freddie Brunt, the new CCC Captain shares, “The CCC has some excellent new recruits, and so is looking to improve on its dismal 5th and 6th place finish in last year’s championship. We have a record thirty players signed up to play for the two CCC teams, and the CCC Selectors are now putting together their final [lineups].”

As far as the weekend festivities around the sporting action, Club Chairman Tobias Hanbury explains, “We are expecting the usual boisterous crowd for the Family Day on Saturday June 3rd, [to which] all are welcome to join, just let us know if you would like to attend.”

Hanbury adds, “After the cricket, there will be a churrasco (R$35 per head for adults) and a live-band. […] As well as the cricket, there is a swimming pool and tennis court.”

“There’s even a TV at the ground for people wanting to watch the Champion’s League final,” he continues. “Bring money for the cash bar and lunch, and swimmers and sun lotion for the kids.”

During the championship the club provides free transport from Praça General Osório, Ipanema to Itaguaí. For the national tournament on Saturday, June 3rd, buses will depart at 7AM (for players) or 10AM (for family and friends), and return at 7:30 PM and 10:30 PM. On Sunday, June 4th, the bus departs at 7AM and returns at 5:30 PM.

The CCC was founded in 2011, and as each year passes, the club goes from strength to strength. Cricket however has existed in Rio since the mid-1800s, when a substantial part of the city’s population was of British descent. Emperor Dom Pedro II opened Rio’s first official cricket pitch in 1860 on Rua Paysandu in Laranjeiras.

Anyone interested should RSVP on their Facebook event page and stay up to date on new developments. For more information and the most up-to-date news on the CCC, visit the club’s Facebook page.

* This is a Sponsored article for the Carioca Cricket Club.