By Floyd Christie
In the aftermath of the national men’s rugby Sevens team’s victories at this year’s Central American and Caribbean (CAC) Games and the North American and Caribbean Rugby Association (NACRA) Championships the Guyana Rugby Football Union (GRFU) is now focusing on “producing a team worthy of representing the Caribbean.”
This was disclosed by President of the GRFU Kit Nascimento at a press conference on Monday at Olympic House where he shed light on the national team’s preparations for the upcoming Commonwealth Games, which will be held in New Delhi, India from October 3-14.
Also attending the press conference was Senior Vice President of the GRFU, Robin Roberts, GRFU Secretary, Curtis Jacobs, other GRFU officials, coaches from the United Kingdom-based Boost Coaching Academy and head coach of the national team, Theodore Henry.
Nascimento said although the national team will be coming up against some of the world’s best teams at the Commonwealth Games such as “New Zealand, Australia and South Africa” in the world class tournament, the team is going to “hold its own.”
In relation to preparations, the GRFU is now focusing on regrouping the team for what Nascimento described as a “full coaching programme” so as to get the team to a higher competitive level than that of the CAC and NACRA.
Nascimento related that in the pipeline for the team’s preparations is a five-day trip to Barbados from September 14 for an “intensive training camp.”
This camp will also incorporate the team members from Trinidad and Tobago but the GRFU “does not yet have the money.”
He added that they may be restructuring the team as they look to add Canada-based player Albert LaRose, who was injured and unable to be selected for the recent championships, but was now under consideration for selection going forward to the Commonwealth Games.
“We [GRFU] would like to have him back in the team… Nobody’s place is certain at this point in time,” Nascimento stated.
The GRFU president mentioned also that another major expense the GRFU has to incur is the acquisition of visas for the rugby contingent going to the Commonwealth Games as the team can only travel via the United States or the United Kingdom.
“This is a significant expense we have to face in addition to the camp in Barbados,” Nascimento said.
“We do not have the funding yet… I’m going to be making another appeal to the government to help us prepare and go forward to properly and effectively represent our country at the world level,” Nascimento added.
An integral part of the team’s preparations involve competing on the rugby field and the Boost Coaching Academy has come to the GRFU’s aid.
Boost will be hosting the national team from September 24-30 at Loughborough University in the United Kingdom for them to undergo final training preparations, using the university’s rugby facilities.
Further, the national team will be engaged in a major tournament on September 26 which was organized by the university and will see the local side coming up against some top Sevens teams that the university has put together.
Until then the team will be regrouping locally and beginning preparations at home, where they will focus on gym and field work aimed at reconditioning the unit.