Regional Development Officer (RDO) of North America Caribbean Rugby Association (NACRA), Scott Harland arrived in Guyana yesterday for his annual visit to discuss and implement strategies that will further develop the discipline locally.
During yesterday’s media briefing held by the Guyana Rugby Football Union (GRFU) in the conference room of the Sleep In Hotel, Harland stated that his five-day sojourn will encompass a Coaching and Referee course.
“We will also be working with the union on the Olympic Solidarity fund applications and what we call KPI’s, Key Performance Indicators so we will help them know how best to strategize and accomplish their goals for 2014,” Harland said.
Harland will also meet with the Director of Sport, Neil Kumar and other stake holders.
The Canadian native stated: “It is always a pleasure to work with the GRFU and I’m excited not to just work with them again but now that the sport of rugby will be played in the Olympics in 2016, there are new opportunities both for funding and new technical expertise that I’m looking forward to working with the union to get access to receive some of those resources.”
President of the GRFU, Peter Green said: “Our goal here is to ensure rugby becomes a household sport like cricket and football. Rugby is now an Olympic sport and we need to strategize.”
Since Sevens rugby will officially become an Olympic sport at the 2016 Games in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, the International Olympic Committee (IOC) through its Olympic Solidarity Fund has made it possible for unions to compete for money.
Guyana stands to benefit financially from that fund.
“Scott is here to help us,” Green added.
“My objective here is to help to ensure that the GRFU has more rugby going on at the end of 2014 at a higher level and that it’s sufficiently funded and I think that is their goal as well,” said Harland.
“My job as a development officer is to come in and help them reach their goals,” he added.
“We have growth upon growth going on here and that is because we have referees and coaches involved and we will look to help them do as well as they can, my job is to go around the world for studies and to gather new techniques and new developments of the game.
“We are very fluid with tactics and strategies so I try to learn all of that and bring it to the unions and one thing that is clear is that Guyana’s union has been very inviting for new ideas and ways to excel.”
Green and his executives also thanked Harland for making the trip to Guyana. (Emmerson Campbell)
