For Guyana to reclaim the coveted NACRA 7’’s title next month in Mexico, the services of standout overseas-based players will surely be needed. They will have to travel home to train with the locally-based ruggers and start the jelling process ahead of the December 3-4 championships.
Edward B. Beharry and Company will be bringing these players home.
This announcement was made yesterday by patron of the union and former president Kit Nascimento in the company’s Charlotte street boardroom in the presence of the Guyana Rugby Football Union’s executives, players and director of the entity, Anjali Beharry-Strand.
“Today we are here to celebrate because Beharry has come through big time,” Nascimento exclaimed.
“To put a winning team in the park we need to bring home some top players, but the biggest expense the union faces is bringing home our top players. Beharry is bringing home these players.”
To the tune of US$7000.
These players include Australia-based, Kevin MacKenzie, US-based, Vallon Adams and Isaiah Allen and Trinidad and Tobago-based Ronald Mayers, Peabo Hamilton, Richard Staglon and Claudius Butts.
All of the players should be in Guyana by next week.
Despite the cost to bring home the players, Nascimento maintained that “No one is selected yet.” He stressed that “Each overseas player has to qualify for selection to be in the final 12.”
In her remarks, Beharry-Strand stated that the company has continued to partner with the rugby fraternity “because of their continuous, exceptional performances.
“It is a pleasure and an honor to support the rugby team,” the director added.
“They won the Caribbean championships for many years in a row and through our sponsorship, it gives Guyana an opportunity to possibly represent us at the 2016 Olympic Games in Brazil and for that we are extremely proud and pleased to give them this opportunity.”
Once the six-time NACRA 7s winners are victorious at the December championships, it paves the way for them to compete at the Hong Kong 7s in March free of cost which will then serve as a warm up for the NACRA Championships in June, a qualifier for the 2016 Olympic Games.
Nascimento was quick to point out that the discipline of rugby “is the only team sport that Guyana can qualify for at the 2016 Games in Rio.”
At yesterday’s event, brief remarks were made by national captain, Ryan Gonsalves, Coach Theo Henry and president of the union, Peter Green who thanked Beharry and Co. for their kind gesture and assured of Guyana’s success.
“The stakes are high we will not fail,” Green prophesied. The team is scheduled to depart on November 27.
Today, President Donald Ramotar is expected to meet with the players in the National Park at 17:00hrs where he will make a presentation. (Emmerson Campbell)
