Guyanese rugby players Theodore Henry, Albert La Rose and Claudius Butts, members of the West Indies team which will compete in the World Rugby Sevens tournament in the United States of America next Saturday and Sunday were presented with their tickets to Trinidad and Tobago yesterday during a press conference at the Guyana Olympic Association (GOA) building.
The trio will travel to Trinidad tomorrow where they will meet their teammates for the West Indies Rugby Team before travelling to the US.
The tickets were handed over with the compliments of Caribbean Airlines (CA) by representative Trevor Beckles.
“Caribbean Airlines has donated funds to 50 percent of the team’s travel expenses and are proud to do so in the essence of promoting rugby in Guyana and the Caribbean. I trust that they (Guyanese rugby players) would perform well in San Diego,” Beckles said yesterday. President of the North American West Indies Rugby Association (NAWIRA) Kit Nascimento, expressed thanks and said that the airline has been very supportive of rugby.
“I am proud that we have four of our very own Guyanese players to represent us on the West Indies Rugby Team for the second time (the fourth player Kevin Mc Kenzie is in Trinidad).
“Last year they participated and did well but however, this year they are stronger and better prepared for the tournament.”
Nascimento remarked that having players perform at the international level was one of the association’s objectives since outside of cricket, rugby was the only sport the West Indies compete in at the international level.
According to Nascimento, the West Indies is one of the top regional teams and this is their third invitation to compete in the World Sevens series. He encouraged the players not to be satisfied with their present performances.
Meanwhile, Guyana’s senior referee Conrad Arjoon has been denied a United States visa which would have allowed him to officiate in the tournament in San Diego, Nascimento revealed yesterday.
Nascimento expressed his disappointment at the development and noted that the US consulate was well aware that every player and referee who performed in the US has since returned. He added that they went out of their way to document the legitimacy of Arjoon’s records but the consulate continuously refused him access to a visa.
Nascimento said that the West Indies Rugby Team was at a disadvantage because of the lack of team practice, adding that there was a grave need for sponsorship to bring teams together for pre-tournament games before they compete at the international level.
He added that there were West Indies Rugby Team members who didn’t have the opportunity to play with the team.
According to Nascimento, Guyanese members of the team have been given invitations on several occasions to play for teams in other countries and were offered jobs and housing as well.
He remarked that until that kind of funding is available in Guyana “we will continue to have a struggle with sports.”
