… Men’s Sevens team is favourite for Team-of-the-Year
SEVERAL associations have been nominated for the National Sports Commission’s 2009 Sports Association of the Year award, based on their performances last year, but the one that stands out is the Guyana Rugby Football Union (GRFU).

The GRFU also copped the award last year and was very busy locally, regionally and internationally.

In July, the GRFU participated in the North American and West Indies Rugby Association’s (NAWIRA) Regional Under-19 Championship which was held in the Cayman Islands and placed fifth.

During the month of November, both the Guyana men’s and women’s teams participated in the North American and Caribbean Rugby Association’s Sevens tournament which was held in Mexico and both teams won their respective categories in the Caribbean championships.

However, the men’s victory was their fourth consecutive one while the women won the title for a second consecutive year.

The men’s victory qualified them to participate in the International Rugby Board’s World Sevens Series to be held in Las Vegas, USA next month.

The team has also qualified to represent the region at the Commonwealth Games scheduled for October in Delhi, India.

Last month, a Guyana Women’s Sevens team, made up of players from Yamaha Caribs and Hornets, participated in a Trinidad Enthusiast Sevens Tournament and brought home the bacon.

Earlier in the year, three Guyanese (Claudius Butts, Albert La Rose and Kevin McKenzie) were selected to represent the West Indies in Hong Kong at the International Rugby Board’s (IRB) World Sevens Series.

Apart from participation in regional and international tournaments, the GRFU last year, continued its coaching exchange programme with the BOOST Charitable Trust of the UK in conjunction with the University of Loughborough.

The Union also continued its Schools Development Programme and held a schools tournament in April.

Added to that, the GRFU conducted coaching programmes which resulted in 31 coaches including seven females, successfully passing the Level 1 Beginners Coaching Programme.

The GRFU men’s team performance in Mexico is by far the best performance by any local sports team to have left these shores last year and because of their outstanding performances, they have qualified to participate in the IRB tournament in Las Vegas and the Commonwealth Games in India.