By Rawle Toney
The Guyana Rugby Football Union (GRFU) yesterday announced the team that will compete at next month’s Inter-national Rugby Board’s (IRB) USA International Se-ven’s World Series and according to the selected captain Claudius Butts, the team is well crafted.
After their practice session last Sunday at the National Park rugby field with Technical Director Joe Whipple, the squad of 12 was selected from some 20 players who were previously short-listed.
Speaking with Stabroek Sport yesterday, the long-standing rugby team captain said that
sizing up his team with the group in which they are placed (New Zealand, Australia and France) he believes that they are likely to go all the way.
Asked whether he is comfortable with the team selected, Butts said “Well yea, I’m pleased with the players who were chosen for the tournament in Las Vegas. I think it’s a fair choice of players and with that I’m satisfied. It was hard I know for a fact for the players who were selected to make the team because we had a bunch of really talented players who are all worthy of being picked as well, but in the end I think that they came up with the best possible team to play in the US.”
“I think that in Las Vegas, the team in our group who I know for a fact will give us a hard time is New Zealand,” said Butts, who is regarded as one of the best wingers in the Caribbean.
The Black Caps are eight-time winners of the IRB Sevens World Series and New Zealand is one of the world’s leading rugby nations.
“They (New Zealand) I think will be our biggest hurdle in that tournament because they are very good. The others like Australia, they are beatable because one time they are up, a next time they are down, so I think once we play organised rugby, I think we can take them down, same thing goes for France, we can beat all these teams, you know, but like I said, New Zealand would be a real challenge,” Butts said.
Experience
Butts, who also stands as captain of the West Indies rugby team, said that a lot would depend on the players who have played alongside him on the West Indies team, since the competition which lies ahead would not be a walk in the park.
Richard Staglon, Theodore Henry, Albert La Rose and Kevin McKenzie are the players who Butts said will be key factors for victory in Las Vegas.
“See, these guys have been there before and played against opponents like what we will face before playing with the West Indies team and I think their role will be critical for us over there (Las Vegas) but again it’s a team thing, you know, and we will have to work together to come out victorious,” the captain said.
Butts noted that newcomer Dominic Lespierre also has a lot to offer to Guyana’s Sevens team because of his experience playing in the Rugby League in England.
“I think he can be a surprise in the tournament because he has what most of us are lacking and that is playing time. He plays in England and has expertise in the game since he is playing in the League over there and that means a lot to us and I’m glad that we can have him for that tournament,” said Butts.
The captain holds the view that compared to the rest of the teams participating in the tournament, Guyana’s fitness level is right up there and they have no worries about injuries in the camp.
“Well we have been training hard, we had a rest yesterday (Monday) and we will be at it again today (yesterday) in the Park. As it related to injuries, we are right up there. I think the guys have shown steady improvement in the areas that we were lacking when the programme started and so I think we are ready to go out there and make Guyana proud you know,” Butts said confidently.
Meanwhile, President of the GRFU Noel Adonis said that the team has already secured their visas for the February 13-14 tournament.
The team reads: Claudius Butts (Captain), Ryan Gonsalves, Pebo Hamilton, Dwayne Schroeder, Richard Staglon, Theodore Henry, Ronald Mayers, Walter George, Rupert Giles, Dominic Lespierre, Kevin McKenzie and Albert La Rose.
The reserves are: Ryan Hinkson, Troy Bascom, Elwin Chase, Christopher Singh, Robin Cordis and Leon Greaves.