An explosive rugby tournament awaits after competing teams were announced yesterday at Thirst Park during the official launch of the inaugural Guinness 7s.
Scheduled to kick off tomorrow at 15:30hrs at the National Park, five male and two female teams will battle for bragging rights and in excess of $300,000 during the one-day fixture which will feature Guyana’s premier ruggers.
Banks DIH’s Guinness Brand Manager, Lee Baptiste noted that the well planned fixture has been in the making for quite sometime and envisions it being staged on an annual basis.
This tournament was in the making for almost a year and a half.
My vision came about on my first trip to Ireland and I was fortunate to receive tickets to go an international rugby game. After viewing the game, I thought that with the success of our local ruggers, why we can’t have half of the enthusiasm back home.”
Baptiste added that the main objective is to increase the viewership and awareness of the discipline which has done Guyana proud on numerous occasions on the international stage.
Banks DIH as customary is paving the way to improve the spectatorship of the sport. We want to grow the sport throughout the length of Guyana and I encourage everyone to come out and see, as the matches will also be played under lights.”
Meanwhile, the Guyana Rugby Football Union’s (GRFU) president, Peter Green thanked representatives of the conglomerate which have previously sponsored the Banks 7s and 15s, for once again partnering with the union.
Green pointed out that the tournament augurs well for the national players since it will provide a much needed competitive environment ahead of the Hong Kong 7s in April.
The GRFU head noted that the prize money is a welcomed and added bonus since it will help to offset some of the expenses of the competing outfits.
The male teams vying for the Guinness 7s Champion’s Trophy are the Pepsi Hornets, Yamaha Caribs, Demerara Panthers, the Guyana Defence Force and the Guyana Police Force Falcons.
The police unit have brought in two Trinidad and Tobago players, brothers, Jeron and Leon Pantor to boost their arsenal.(Emmerson Campbell)
