IT was famed American collegiate basketball coach John Wooden who said “Sports do not build character. They reveal it.”; a statement applicable to Guyana’s new found rugby star Patrick King.

The local 400M and Long Jump Champion single handedly carried Guyana to their 7th North American and Caribbean Rugby Association (NACRA) Sevens Rugby Championship and what was even more sensational is that King was also making his international debut after taking up the sport a few month ago.

King, a member of the Guyana Defence Force (GDF) used his sublime speed, coupled with his agility on the pitch, scored all but one try in Guyana’s 33 – 28 win over Mexico in the finals when it was played on Thursday last in Mexico City.

“The guys believed in me and I delivered” a visibly joyous King said while speaking to reporters at the Cheddi Jagan International Airport yesterday upon the team’s arrival, where they were greeted by executives of the Guyana Rugby Football Union (GRFU).

Named the tournament’s best Winger, King pointed out that while he was able to score tries at will leading up to the finals against the Mexicans, it was nerve wrecking when it was time bring home the gold.

“I was not nervous until the finals. My first game was so easy for me but I don’t know what happened against Mexico. When I saw Mexico going up 21, I was just praying to go on the field and I was told by my teammates, especially Kevin (McKenzie), that I can do it and they believed in me and the rest is history,” said King.

Meanwhile, the team’s coach Theodore Henry while being happy, was also upset that the team didn’t get the hero’s welcome it rightfully deserves.

The team flew home on Copa Airlines but a lukewarm reception was handed to them at the airport since only the Union’s President Peter Green and some of the executives were present.

“Rugby is the only team in Guyana that always has to play to qualify for the Pan Am Games and everyone else in Guyana is invited. We’ve done things no other sports team in this country has ever done and its about time we get the respect we deserve,” Henry said.

“We won the 15’s against the USA when no one thought we could and now, we said we were going to win the NACRA 7’s and we did. We are the only NACRA country to ever win both the 15’s and 7’s Rugby championship in the same year and what we did in Mexico, even the Mexicans never saw that before coming back to Guyana to this kind of welcoming is upsetting and we need to be recognized,” the dreadlock coach said.

Henry is considered as one of the faces of rugby in the Caribbean and has played a part in every history making event for Guyana.

As a player, he won the six NACRA titles (2006 – 2011) and as a coach he lost to Mexico by one point in 2012. The unavailability of funds kept the team out the tournament last year and this time around, Henry was a player/coach.

(By Rawle Toney)