Barbados’ men’s and women’s CPL sides will take the field this season under a familiar badge. The Royals era is over – the franchise is switching back to Barbados Tridents, the name it wore for the league’s first eight campaigns before the 2021 rebrand.
The change is part of a wider, three-year “One Barbados” partnership between Royals Sports Group and the Government of Barbados, announced on Wednesday. In practical terms it means two immediate tweaks: the side returns to the national blue-and-yellow strip (goodbye pink) and the government comes on board as a minority co-investor, subject to final approvals. Majority control, day-to-day cricket decisions and coaching structures stay with Royals Sports Group.
Prime Minister Mia Amor Mottley framed the move around Barbados’ 60th anniversary of independence. “As Barbados marks its 60th year of Independence, the One Barbados partnership encapsulates everything that we, as a young nation, have accomplished thus far,” she said. “The return to the Barbados Tridents reflects our confidence, our pride and our ambition as a nation, as we begin to chart the path towards our next 60 years. Cricket has long been a core pillar of our national identity and self-determination. As such, it is incredibly fitting that through this partnership, we will see ourselves represented, in our national colours, with a name that speaks to who we are.”
From the ownership side, lead investor Manoj Badale called the relaunch “a powerful statement of pride and intent”, adding: “We remain fully committed to Barbados, to the CPL, and to one clear ambition: sustained success, with both the men’s and women’s CPL titles brought home to the island.”
There is a community angle too. A charity fixture, branded the “Pink Promise” match, will remain on the calendar to raise funds locally – a nod to the Royals’ colour scheme rather than a lingering branding clash.
What does it mean on the field? For now, not heaps. Rovman Powell is still captain; the squad that finished bottom in 2025 is largely intact. A name change won’t fix power-play wickets or middle-order stutters overnight, but players talk often enough about shirts mattering. Those blue-and-yellow stripes hold plenty of history – two CPL titles (2014, 2019) and a decent rivalry with Trinbago to tap into.
Long term, the fresh cash and government backing could help with academy work, scouting across the region, and maybe a steadier pipeline for the women’s outfit, which, like its male counterpart, has blown hot and cold since the Women’s CPL began in 2022.
All told, it feels less like a marketing pivot and more like a political-sporting alliance: Barbados reinforcing its global brand through cricket, while the owners keep operational reins. Tridents fans, who never fully embraced the Royals pink, are unlikely to complain.
