Players aiming to earn a spot on the national rugby team ahead of next month’s Grenada 7s will have to impress the selectors when the final tournament before selection is staged on Saturday.
This is according to the President of the Guyana Rugby Football Union (GRFU), Ryan Dey.
Dey told this publication yesterday that Saturday’s all-important tournament will kick off at 14:00hrs at the National Park, and following those fixtures, the final squad for Grenada will be named on Tuesday.
“The players have been competing for the past four months in training, and Saturday’s games will be the final ones before selection,” said Dey.
The GRFU head further mentioned that the upcoming international tournament will be used as a measuring stick for the revamped national team dubbed the ‘Green Machine’ ahead of next year’s Rugby Americas North (RAN) 7s.
“In Grenada, we will be gauging ourselves with this new crop of players, but we will have more international and regional tournaments to attend and compete at before the RAN 7s next August.”
Dey added that the union has received support from the government, the Guyana Olympic Association, and private entities but is still short of the goal line, and therefore he is still appealing for financial support from corporate Guyana.
With just three weeks before kickoff in ‘The Spice Isle’, teams from the UK, USA, Canada, and the Caribbean have already registered to participate at this year’s event, which not only showcases world-class rugby but also gives both players and spectators a taste of what all Grenada has to offer.
It is the longest-running club rugby 7s tournament in the region and has returned to Grenada for its second year. Eighteen of the world’s best men’s and women’s Elite 7s teams will compete in the tournament from December 1 for a total prize pool of $20,000.
The tournament is one of rugby’s most popular international events and has been running for over 30 years in various locations. It is renowned for its action-packed week of scheduled activities, which includes a charity event to support the Grenada Cancer Society.
The local players will also be aiming to spring upsets and cash in on the incentives. (Emmerson Campbell)
