Look out Las Vegas! Here come Guyana’s rugby teams.
Guyana’s male and female rugby teams covered themselves with glory when won the North American and Caribbean Rugby Association (NACRA) Sevens championships last week-end in Mexico.
The victories mean that the two sides have qualified for next year’s International Rugby Board’s Sevens World series tournament in Las Vegas, USA next February.
Additionally, the teams will represent the Caribbean at next year’s Commonwealth Games in India in October.
President of the Guyana Rugby Football Union (GRFU) Noel Adonis yesterday told Stabroek Sport in an invited comment that he felt the two teams performed outstandingly.
“I believe the performance of both teams was really outstanding. It is an indication of the level of commitment of the players and coaches to develop rugby at this level,” Adonis who accompanied the team to Mexico said.
“It is a credit to the hard work put in over the past two months. It means a whole lot to the GRFU, rugby in Guyana and sports on the whole and just shows what is possible with dedication and commitment,” Adonis added.
It was the fourth tournament win for the Guyana men’s team while the women’s team made it two in a row.
In the final of the men’s division Guyana defeated Trinidad and Tobago 12-10 in a closely contested match highlighted by Kevin McKenzie’s two tries one of which was converted by Theo Henry.
The women’s competition was played in a round robin format and the Guyana women’s team played unbeaten defeating St. Lucia, Mexico, Cayman Islands and Bahamas. Saint Lucia and Mexico were second and third respectively.
The Guyana men’s also played unbeaten throughout the tournament dispatching Bahamas 24-0 in the semi-finals after beating Bermuda 28-19 in the quarters.
Trinidad and Tobago reached the final by getting past Martinique 25-0 after stopping Cayman Islands 26-14 in the quarter- finals.
On the first day of the tournament, the men’s team, placed in Group `A’ with Bahamas, Cayman Islands, Guadeloupe and the Dominican Republic showed why they were the pre-tournament favourites by whipping Guadeloupe 54-7, the Cayman Islands 21-7, the Bahamas 26-12 and the Dominican Republic 35-7 to easily advance to the quarter-finals.
Guyana’s women’s team also showed their championship form on the first day overcoming St. Lucia 10-7 in their first game; handily defeating Cayman Islands 26-0 in their second encounter, annihilating Bahamas 50-0 in their third game and pulversing the hosts Mexico 33-5 in their final game.
The Guyana men’s team was without West Indies captain, Claudius Butts, who developed an abscess on his knee after being injured in a practice game and was unable to play as a result.
The Guyana teams were due to return late last night.
