Trinidad and Tobago-based starting forwards for the national men’s rugby team, Richard Staglon and Ronald Mayers, have now acquired their visas following successful talks between the Consular Officer for the Canadian High Commission in Trinidad and Tobago and Director of Rugby in Guyana, Mike McCormack.
This was confirmed yesterday during a telephone interview with patron and former president of the Guyana Rugby Football Union (GRFU) Kit Nascimento.
Due to logistical problems, Staglon and Mayers were unable to travel like the rest of the squad which arrived in Canada on Monday. The duo, however, subsequently joined the rest of the team on Wednesday night.
Both Staglon and Mayers have vast experience and played important roles in helping Guyana to capture six consecutive NACRA Caribbean Rugby titles.
At the two-day tournament which kicks off tomorrow, Guyana will look to retain their NACRA Caribbean Sevens title and make it seven consecutive titles.
The team is also hoping to finish among the top two countries in the Rugby World Cup Regional Qualifiers.
The local ruggers (The Rugby Jaguars) are the number one seeded team in Pool C – the Cayman Islands while Trinidad & Tobago and Barbados are the other countries in that group contesting the Rugby World Cup Regional Qualifiers.
The USA heads Pool A with Jamaica and St. Vincent & the Grenadines being the other countries while Canada heads Pool B with Mexico, Bermuda and The Bahamas as the other competitors.
The national side will kick off their first match at the Twin Elm Rugby Park in Ottawa tomorrow at 9:40 hrs (Canadian time) against Trinidad and Tobago, followed by Barbados three hours later. They will then take on the Cayman Islands at 15:20hrs.
According McCormack, who is also acting as the team’s manager, a training session was held on Wednesday which was followed by a fund-raising event at the home of Cleveland Schroeder, a Guyanese resident in Canada.
Yesterday the team travelled by road to Ottawa and played a scrimmage against a local side. Today the players will engage in light training for the tournament tomorrow.
The team is being coached by Theodore Henry while the physiotherapist is Barrington Browne.
The full squad reads: Ryan Gonsalves (captain) Elwin Chase, Avery Corbin, Peabo Hamilton, Blaise Bailey, Rupert Giles – England, Claudius Butts, Vallon Adams, Rickford Cummings, Richard Staglon and Ronald Mayers.
The reserves are Lance Adonis, Claude Alexander and Troy Bascom.
The team is scheduled to return to Guyana next Wednesday.
