Director Joe Whipple
IT’s no secret that Guyana’s male rugby team is one of the Caribbean’s most celebrated, more particularly in the game’s shortest format (7s Rugby) for which they are four-time regional champions. They have won those titles in succession, all in convincing fashion and come next week when the North American and Caribbean Rugby Association (NARCA) Sevens Championship heads to Guyana, the locals will be chasing after number five; something Technical Director Joe Whipple is claiming they are ready to achieve.
Apart from the Caribbean Championship, Guyana will be competing in the Central American and Caribbean (CAC) Games.
Whipple has established himself with winning and success where rugby is concerned since he also stands as the coach of the West Indies Sevens Rugby side and coached Guyana at last year’s IRB USA Sevens World Series.
Speaking with Chronicle Sport yesterday from the Splashmin’s Fun Park and Resort, where the Guyana team has been encamped ahead of the championship, Whipple said that the team have shown signs of a true champion and he believes that they are “ready to deliver”.
The team held their final training session at the Guyana National Stadium on Monday and Whipple said that based on his observation there’s nothing left to be done but just “go out and win”.
“The guys are very good, they are ready. Today we relaxed on the resort part of Splashmin’s, where we watched some videos and so on; so I think they are more than ready.
“The ultimate focus here is not about competing at the CAC Games or the Caribbean Championships, but we want to get the guys up to International Standards,” said Whipple.
Guyana’s 7s male rugby squad will be participating in the Commonwealth Games set for Delhi, India, in October hence playing at the upcoming games is very important, said Whipple.
“Playing at home is one thing and we know the importance of going out there and putting on a good show for the die-hard rugby fans here in Guyana but like I said, our ultimate goal here is to make this team into something that you would see in any top Rugby-playing nation around the world and the good thing is the guys they understand this which makes it all easier,” the Technical Director added.
Asked how difficult it would be rotating the players between the CAC games and the NARCA Championships, Whipple said that “the good thing is we have a pool of excellent players.
“Some of them would play both, some would just play one or the other while some of them wouldn’t play any because of how talented this team is, so like I said, it’s time for us to just go out there and deliver.”
The Technical Director said that as it relates to support for the side, he’s urging persons to come out in their numbers at Guyana’s premier sport venue since it will be the first time that the players, who have done so much for giving Guyana the deserved recognition on the international stage, will be playing at home in such a major tournament.
Meanwhile, teams and officials have already begun to arrive for the Championships, with Costa Rica, who will be participating in the CAC Games, arriving on Monday evening. Mexico touched down yesterday.
Expected in today are: Trinidad and Tobago, Cayman Islands, Bahamas and Jamaica.