The national rugby team at the recently-concluded Las Vegas Invitational Sevens tournament was declared joint champions of the Bowl round along with the Denver Barbarians.
After suffering two defeats on the opening day of the three-day tournament on Thursday last, the local ruggers did well to record victories over Mexico, the Columbus Rugby Club and the Philipines on the second day of the tournament.
Meanwhile, President of the Guyana Rugby Football Union (GRFU), Kit Nascimento will hold a press briefing today at the Guyana Olympic Association (GOA) building to report on the achievements of the local rugby team in Las Vegas.
In their first game against their pool A foes, the Force XV Froggies (a French team) the locals were narrowly beaten 19-12.
They then lost 29 to 12 against the other pool A team and eventual Cup winners the Social Vibe Pups (an English team).
The locals, however, rebounded and defeated Mexico the other pool A team, 19 to 14 Friday morning and the Columbus Rugby Club and the Philippines in the afternoon.
By virtue of the two defeats the national team, however, which was seeded fourth among the 16 competing teams was knocked out of the Cup round.
They did, however, qualify for the final in the Bowl round by winning their quarterfinal and semi final games. The final was not played and both Guyana and the Denver Barbarians were named joint Bowl winners.
In the quarterfinal, the national team defeated the Columbus Rugby Club 17 to 12. In the semi final, they won a sudden death overtime duel with the Philippines 24 to 19.
The six-time North America Caribbean Rugby Association (NACRA) champions were using the three-day tournament as a warm-up ahead of the team’s participation at the HSBC Sevens World Series in Hong Kong scheduled from March 23 to 25.
