Guyanese Claudius Butts is more than likely to be named captain of the West Indies Select Sevens Rugby team that will take part in the Abbotsford International Sevens Tournament, Greater Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada, from July 19-26, according to President of the West Indies Rugby Union, Christopher Nascimento.
Nascimento told Stabroek Sport yesterday that this is the first time that the Windies team will be taking part in the tournament which features some of the world’s top players and clubs.
After an excellent showing at this year’s Hong Kong Seven’s tournament, the West Indies team has earned the respect of the rugby world with some of the top coaches in recognized rugby nations giving them a thumbs up and acknowledging that they will be a force to reckon with.
Butts who was the captain of the Sevens team at the last tournament in Hong Kong is known around the Caribbean as the best winger in the game.
He is drawn alongside fellow Guyanese Kelvin McKenzie with nine other players from around the Caribbean.
The West Indies Rugby Board after releasing the names of 11 players who were already confirmed members of the squad, also disclosed some of the players who will be under consideration for team selection.
Among those players are Albert La Rose and Richard Staglon, two players who have had extensive stints on the West Indies team before, with La Rose being part of the unit that competed in Hong Kong.
Players have been drawn from all of the West Indies Rugby Union members, including Guyana, Trinidad and Tobago, St. Vincent and the Grenadines, Barbados, St. Lucia, the British Virgin Islands, Jamaica, the Cayman Islands, The Bahamas and Bermuda.
According to the Windies head coach Johan Whipple, the tournament in Canada would be a great start to their developmental programme for 2009 which will give them the opportunity to introduce some new players to the team.
“These players will have an opportunity to demonstrate that they deserve to be in the top 12 players in the West Indies. The players we added for this tournament and training camp were all close misses for the Rugby West Indies team at the Hong Kong Sevens World Series in March. Players not selected are clearly in the mix for future tournaments. We expect all of the players to come to Canada at an International Fitness Standard ready to play some great sevens,” Whipple added.
Prior to the start of the tournament in Canada, the team would be joining Kenya whom they fell to in the Hong Kong Sevens series, for a three-day encampment.
The confirmed players for the tournament are:
Andrew Bain (Bahamas), Andre Carbera (T&T), Claudius Butts (Guyana), Hollis Green (St. Vincent & the Grenadines ), Joshua Clarke (Cayman), Devon Woodsede (The Bahamas),Kevin Mc Kenzie (Guyana), Duran Beadle (The Bahamas), Luther Burrell (Jamaica & Leeds), Tom Healy (Bermuda) and Keron Campbell (T&T).
Meanwhile, the players under consideration for the final selection include: Kelson Figaro (T&T), Richard Staglon (Guyana), Albert La Rose (Guyana), Michael Wilson (Cayman Islands), Stefan Taricska (Barbados), Jermico Cooper (The Bahamas) and J. Hampsey (Barbados).
