RBNYFL kicks off this weekend with late tweaks; MIC Matura, Union Hall withdraw

There were some late changes—and there may still be a few more tweaks—as the 2025 Republic Bank National Youth Football League (RBNYFL) nears its opening kickoff on Saturday 8 February at venues across Trinidad and Tobago.

The RBNYFL hosted 124 teams in 2024 and was initially forecast to have 133 outfits this season. At present, it appears that there will be 124 clubs in the 2025 season, after a few withdrawals this week.

Most notably, MIC ReMatura United, Union Hall United and KR Performance Academy withdrew multiple teams from the competition, while HVC FC (primarily a Hillview College representative team) and World Class Soccer Clinic also took leave.

This was only partially offset by the introduction of outfits like Police FC and Harlem Strikers entering teams.

MIC ReMatura are headed by sport administrator Shem Alexander, who was recently charged by the United States State Department with conspiracy to commit unlawful export smuggling and conspiracy to traffic firearms.

At present, the club continues to operate in the TTPFL Tier Two while MIC is sponsor of TTPFL Tier One club, Central FC. However, they now do not have a footprint in local youth competition—where they operated as an amalgam of Matura ReUnited and Gateway Athletics International, which Alexander also runs.

Longstanding Matura ReUnited general manager Maurice Eligon could not say why. He explained that the club’s administrators basically handed over the reins to Alexander, a few years ago.

“MIC is a separate organisation and they run the day-to-day operations of the club,” Eligon told Wired868. “They just report to us on major issues. I am trying to find out why we pulled out…”

Wired868 was unable to reach Gateway Athletics and Matura ReUnited head coach Jason Spence for comment.

MIC Matura ReUnited were one of just five clubs that successfully fielded teams in all four RBNYFL divisions, which included the Girls Under-17 category.

The others are: Crown Trace FC, Pro Series Events, Trendsetter Hawks Football Academy, and Athletic International Academy (AIA).

In the case of Union Hall Utd, who finished second in RBNYFL’s Trinidad Under-14 finals last year, head coach Dexter Cyrus said he felt forced to choose between competing in the South Zone and the national youth league and picked the former.

He told Wired868 that the South Zone has under-13, under-15 and under-17 competitions and is a better fit for his team.

For World Class, the 2024 RBNYFL East Zone Under-14 champs, the Aranguez-based club only got into the South Under-20 Division this year and felt it would be too expensive to participate.

The late withdrawals made it difficult to fill all the spots, with Saturday’s kickoff looming. And the Central and South Under-14 divisions will run with just six teams each, rather than the anticipated eight.

The North Zone is the only region that has a full allocation of clubs in all divisions at present.

There was a rule change in the Tobago Girls Under-17 division, as the participating teams will also be allowed to use their players in the WOLF  (Women’s League of Football) competition.

This compromise, according to tournament organisers TTGameplan, was negotiated between WOLF and the Trinidad and Tobago Football Association (TTFA) and is a result of the smaller player pool in Tobago.

The decision is understood to have been taken to avoid a withdrawal of girls clubs on the Sister Isle.

Below is the current fixture list for Match Day One of the RBNYFL:

RBNYFL 2025

Match Day One

(Saturday 8 February)

Under-14 Division

Central Zone

Cooper’s Coaching Academy vs FC Tigers, 9am, Valsayn Teachers Training College;

T&T Maestros vs Premier SC, 11am, Valsayn Teachers Training College;

Waterloo Tigers vs Crown Trace FC, 1pm, Valsayn Teachers Training College;

East Zone

Arima Araucans vs San Juan Jabloteh, 9am, El Dorado West Secondary;

Beatnix SC vs FC Santa Rosa, 11am, El Dorado West Secondary;

Cardinals FA vs Blue Hawks FC, 1pm, El Dorado West Secondary;

AIA vs Creek SCC, 3pm, El Dorado West Secondary;

North Zone

Santa Cruz Utd vs AC POS, 9am, Trinity Moka field 1;

Dibe Dragons FA vs Trendsetter Hawks, 11am, Trinity Moka field 1;

Moka Lions FC vs Project Pro Academy, 1pm, Trinity Moka field 1;

City FC vs Pro Series, 3pm, Trinity Moka field 1;

South Zone:

Uprising Youths vs Dunstan Williams SA, 11am, Mannie Ramjohn Training Field 1;

Carrat Shed FFA vs Tiny Mike’s FC, 1pm, Mannie Ramjohn Training Field 1;

Cox CS vs Point Fortin YFA, 3pm, Mannie Ramjohn Training Field 1;

Tobago Zone

Bethel United vs St Clair’s CS, 9am, Plymouth Recreational Grounds;

Brother Ry FA vs Stokely Vale FC, 11am, Plymouth Recreational Grounds;

Ball Blasters YA vs Jaric Titans, 1pm, Plymouth Recreational Grounds;

Georgia FC vs TJ’s Sporting Academy, 3pm, Plymouth Recreational Grounds;

Under-20 Division

Central Zone

Harlem Strikers vs Evolution FC, 9am, New Settlement Recreation Ground;

Prison FC vs Premier SC, 11am, New Settlement Recreation Ground;

Crown Trace FC vs Boyce SCC, 1pm, New Settlement Recreation Ground;

Cooper’s Coaching Academy vs Kamillionare FC, 3pm, New Settlement Recreation Ground;

East Zone

FC Ginga vs Betis Academy TT, 9am, St Augustine Secondary;

Adrenaline FA vs San Juan Jabloteh, 11am, St Augustine Secondary;

QPCC FC vs AIA Eagles, 1pm, St Augustine Secondary;

Tinto’s Sporting Academy are on a bye;

North Zone

Pro Series vs Betis Academy TT, 9am, Trinity Moka field 2;

Extreme FC vs Miscellaneous Laventille Utd, 11am, Trinity Moka field 2;

Seekers FC vs City FC, 1pm, Trinity Moka field 2;

Moka Lions FC vs Trendsetter Hawks, 3pm, Trinity Moka field 2;

South Zone:

Gasparillo Youths vs Carrat Shed FFA, 9am, Mannie Ramjohn Training Field 2;

Penal Is Love vs Police FC, 11am, Mannie Ramjohn Training Field 2;

Dunstan Williams SA vs Club Sando, 1pm, Mannie Ramjohn Training Field 2;

Mayo Youth Academy vs UWI, 3pm, Mannie Ramjohn Training Field 2;

Tobago Zone:

1976 FC Phoenix vs Sidy’s SC, 9am, Black Rock Recreational Grounds;

TJ’s Sporting Academy vs Tobago Select, 11am, Black Rock Recreational Grounds;

Eagles FC vs Golden Lane FC, 1pm, Black Rock Recreational Grounds;

Georgia FC are on a bye

(Sunday 9 February)

Boys Under-17

Central Zone

Crown Trace FC vs Gasparillo Youths FC, 9am, New Settlement Recreation;

Kamillionare FC vs Beatnix SC, 11am, New Settlement Recreation;

FC Ginga vs Premier SC, 1pm, New Settlement Recreation;

FC Tigers vs City FC, 3pm, New Settlement Recreation;

East Zone

Arima Araucans vs San Juan Jabloteh, 9am, St Augustine Secondary;

Creek SCC vs Maloney RFC, 11am, St Augustine Secondary;

Trincity Nationals vs Blue Hawks, 1pm, St Augustine Secondary;

FC Santa Rosa vs AIA, 3pm, St Augustine Secondary;

North Zone

T&T Maestros vs Project Pro, 9am, Trinity Moka field 2;

Trendsetter Hawks vs Betis Academy TT, 11am, Trinity Moka field 2;

AC POS vs Pro Series, 1pm, Trinity Moka field 2;

Cardinals FC vs Santa Cruz Utd, 3pm, Trinity Moka field 2;

South Zone

Point Fortin YFA vs Uprising Youths, 9am, Mannie Ramjohn Training Field 2;

Dunstan Williams SA vs Moka Lions FC, 1pm, Mannie Ramjohn Training Field 2;

Carrat Shed FFA vs Penal Is Love, 3pm, Mannie Ramjohn Training Field 2;

Cox Coaching School are on a bye

Tobago Zone

Jaric Titans SDC vs Ball Blasters YA, 9am, Plymouth Recreation Grounds;

TJ’s Sporting Academy vs Monsta Mentality JFA, 11am, Plymouth Recreation Grounds;

Brother Ry FA vs Georgia FC, 1pm, Plymouth Recreation Grounds;

North Stars Football Club are on a bye;

Girls Under-17

Trinidad

Boyce SCC vs Southstars FC, 9am, El Dorado West Secondary;

Crown Trace FC vs AIA, 11am, El Dorado West Secondary;

Pro Series vs Trendsetter Hawks, 1pm, El Dorado West Secondary;

Blue Hawks FC vs Cox CS, 3pm, El Dorado West Secondary;

Tobago

Combined Ballerz Academy vs Jewels SC, 9am, Signal Hill;

Black Panthers WSC vs Tobago Chicas, 11am, Signal Hill.