Guyana’s national Sevens rugby team has been seeded among the top four teams competing in the Las Vegas Invitational Sevens Tournament from February 9 to 11.
The 16 teams competing in the tournament will be divided into four pools. Guyana will head Pool C which will include Mexico, Force XV Froggies (a French team) and Pups Rugby (an English team).
Pool A is headed by Spain and will include Bermuda, the Chicago Lions and Peru. Chile heads Pool B followed by the Philippine Pacific, Tiger Rugby and Alaska Golden Bears while Pool D is headed by Romania which includes Dog River Howlers (a Canadian team), Denver 7s and Columbus Rugby Club.
The Las Vegas tournament will serve as a warm-up ahead of the team’s participation at the HSBC Sevens World Series in Hong Kong from March 23 to 25.
The local ruggers earned a place at the HSBC Sevens World Series after they won their sixth consecutive North America Caribbean Rugby Association (NACRA) title last November in Barbados by demolishing the Cayman Islands by 29 points to nil.
The team held its first Beep Test on Thursday which was conducted by team trainer Barrington Browne to evaluate the fitness preparation of the players.
The ruggers will also hold a full practice game at the National Park this afternoon at 15:00 hrs.
The team which will wing out for Las Vegas on February 6 will be made up of Captain Ryan Gonsalves, vice captain Elwin Chase, Theodore Henry, Claudius Butts, Valon Adams, Dwayne Schroeder, Rickford Cummings, Christopher Singh, UK-based Rupert Giles and the trio of Trinidad and Tobago-based players Ryan Hinckson, Richard Staglon and Ronald Mayers.
The reserves will be Walter George, Breon Walks, Avery Corbin and Rondell Hutson.
Henry, who is also the head coach, will be assisted by Shane Grant-Stewart. The team will be managed by Robin Roberts. Browne is also the team’s physiotherapist.
