THE Government of Guyana (GoG) yesterday through the Minister of Finance Dr Ashni Singh presented Guyana’s National 7s Rugby team with $4M, to aid in its participation in the North America Caribbean Rugby Association (NACRA) 7s Championship, to be held in Mexico City, Mexico, from December 3 to 4. 

The Guyana Rugby Football Union (GRFU) had written to President Donald Ramotar, seeking assistance to help offset expenses to travel to Mexico later this month and in a show of good faith, the Head-of-State responded and sent his Finance Minister to be bearer of good news to the Union.
“I am extremely pleased at the outstanding performance of the Guyana Rugby Team over the years … I don’t think that it is widely known that this team has performed as well as it has over the years in regional and international tournaments.
“In fact they are very few sports in which Guyana has achieved what Rugby has achieved in international competition and I want to say that, notwithstanding that we live in a society where sports such as football, cricket and now basketball are the most popular team sports,” Dr Singh said.
The minister further added: “Given the kind of track record and talent that we have in Rugby, I want to urge the GRFU to do more to raise awareness of Rugby in Guyana. Not only the performance of our national team, but I think the performance of this team and its predecessors, is something we should be proud of as a country and showcase more.”
Guyana is grouped with defending Champs and host Mexico, St Vincent and the Grenadines and the Cayman Islands.
Having won the tournament five consecutive times (2006 to 2011), Guyana lost to Mexico in 2012 and lack of funding kept the Caribbean’s best 7s Rugby team out of the competition last year.
But with this year’s tournament being played as part of the Olympic Qualifiers, GRFU president Peter Greene made it clear that the Land of Many Waters will be represented as they seek to create history; something Dr Singh says is very possible.
“I believe that based on what I have read this team stands a realistic chance of qualifying for the 2016 Olympics. I would like in 2016, every Guyanese gather in their living rooms of whatever meeting places to see the Guyana Rugby team on the field; that’s charge I would give to the squad.
You have the best wishes, certainly on behalf of the President (Donald Ramotar) on whose behalf I speak. You have the best wishes of the Government, the Guyanese people. They might not be aware of you like how they are aware of our big cricketers and footballers, but I believe a big win can change that,” Singh said.
Greene thanked the Finance Minister and more so President Ramotar, stating that Government’s support is needed if the GRFU and its 7s team are to realise their dreams at competing in Rio de Janeiro Brazil.
The Government of Guyana’s contribution comes after Edward B. Beharry and Company ($1.4M), along with the Guyana Olympic Association ($3M), had all come on board to help Guyana to recapture their NACRA 7s title.