NATIONAL players Kevin McKenzie and Dwayne Schroeder have had their suspensions from playing Rugby both locally and internationally amended by the Guyana Rugby Football Union (GRFU). McKenzie was suspended for one year and Schroeder for nine months, for their alleged misconduct while representing Guyana at the Commonwealth Games in Delhi India last year.
Both players, along with Albert La Rose who resides in Canada, are important components to Guyana’s national team who are also five-time Caribbean Champions and they have all missed out in playing at the Las Vegas Sevens World Series in February this year.
A release from the GRFU states that “following a hearing of the appeal by the GRFU Disciplinary Committee, a recommendation was made to the Executives of the GRFU that the original penalties be suspended and the two be allowed to resume playing rugby as of next week-end.
Should any infraction on or off the field occur leading to a complaint to the Disciplinary Committee until the end of the original suspension, the penalty will be re-instated”.
The players had written to the GRFU president Kit Nascimento a letter of apology since it was based on his report as manager of the team that recommendations were made for the punishment to be handed down.
But the ratification of the Disciplinary Committee’s  recommendation by the Executive, the release said, was reached after a difficult discussion and was not taken lightly since members were concerned that amending the penalty might be interpreted as diluting the seriousness of the offences.
“On the other hand, the Executive noted that both players have responded to the suspension positively, particularly with regard to keeping themselves fit and making themselves available to support the international squad preparations for the recently completed World Sevens Series from which they were banned.
In this respect it was felt that some recognition of these positive steps was in order, therefore, the Executive Committee decided in favour of the recommendation of the Disciplinary Committee,”” the release added.
Apart from missing the Las Vegas Sevens, the players have missed only one domestic tournament and will automatically shift their focus on representing Guyana at the Pan American Games in Mexico later in the year and the North American and Caribbean Rugby Association (NACRA) Caribbean Championships.
McKenzie and Schroeder will be in action from today as the GRFU’s William Blackman Men’s 15-a-Side tourney continues with the second round competition as Pepsi Hornets take on the Guyana Defence Force (GDF).
Pepsi Hornets are leading in the competition having won both their games against Yamaha Caribs 17-5 and GDF 27-0. The Yamaha Caribs are in second place with the Army bringing up the rear having lost both their games.