… homesters down Trinidad and Tobago 14-12 in gruelling final
MANY wrote them off, while some downed their heads in dismay in the stands, but Guyana’s female Sevens Rugby players showed why they are the Caribbean’s top-playing side when they came from behind to topple Trinidad and Tobago, 14-12, to win their third North American and Caribbean Rugby Association (NACRA) Women’s Sevens Caribbean Championship. Earlier, Trinidad and Tobago defeated Jamaica 12-7 in the first semi-finals while Guyana outclassed St Lucia 21-0 in the other to set up the arduous final.
For the Trinis, the clash in the final against the Guyananese meant that they would get a chance to exact revenge for the loss in which they suffered to the champs, falling 12-0 in the final set of preliminary matches.
However in the final, up to the first half, their dreams seemed almost set, at least up to first half.
Guyana seemed shaky at the start with Trinidad and Tobago looking more like they wanted to win.
Jenilee Limada sent her side in the lead after they capitalised on Guyana’s clumsy defence and scored the game’s first try which would turn out to be the only try to be scored against Guyana in the entire tournament.
Julian Straker’s attempted conversion sailed wide of the uprights. Moments later, Straker found her way through a gap in Guyana’s defence once again and found her way to the end zone and would later make good of the conversion.
The Guyanese went into the second half trailing 12-0 and many felt that the Trinidadians were almost certain but thanks to the inclusion of some fresh legs in the game by coach Alton Agard, the home side midway through the game, began to play rugby.
Mid-way the second half, Nikita Davis, picked up on a loose ball and the diminutive 22-year-old player sprinted her way to the end zone and Collette Hope used her football skills to make good of the conversion.
The play brought life and hope back into the Guyanese spectators with Guyana trailing 12-7 in the closing minute of the game.
Hope put the icing on the cake and the tears in the eyes of the Trinidadians, when she scored the try that tied the game and with time almost expired, the kick which was taken by Andrea Lashley was good and the game ended with the Guyanese in jubilation for winning their third Caribbean title.
An emotional Trinidad and Tobago coach Kitty Andrews-Nero said that the loss placed a feeling on her that she had never before felt, calling it sad but was high in praises for her players for reaching as far as the final.
She said that based on their preparation leading up to the tournament, many wrote them off but she added that the players came to prove the critics wrong and they exceeded their possibilities with almost winning the competition.
Meanwhile, Jamaica finished in third place with a  22-0 win over St Lucia while Mexico stopped the Cayman Islands 26-5 to occupy the fifth position.