IT’S ‘D-Day’ for the Green Machine, Guyana’s National Sevens Rugby team, as they embark on yet another ‘David versus Goliath’ journey.
Guyana will feature once again at the IRB Hong Kong Sevens where they will attempt to show the rest of the world that they belong among the ‘big boys’ after dominating the Caribbean circuit.
Ryan Gonsalves was named captain of the team, and will be joined by Claudius Butts, Richard Staglon, Ronald Mayers, Avery Corbin, Patrick King, Vallon Adams, Blaise Bailey, Rupert Giles, Rickford Cummings, Peabo Hamilton and Rondell McArthur.
Robby Roberts will serve as the team’s manager and Barrington Brown their physical trainer.
Guyana were placed in Pool G, alongside Spain, Uruguay and Papua New Guinea. The ‘Green Machine’ as they are more popularly known, will open their account on April 7 against Spain and would wrap up day one of the tournament facing the team from Southwest of the Pacific Ocean (Papua New Guinea).

The men from the Land of Many Waters will play their South American neighbours Uruguay on April 8 in their final Group stage game.
Green Machine head coach Shane Grant-Stewart is of the opinion that his team, collectively, are on-par with several of the world’s top rugby-playing nations, but more exposure at the top level is much needed.
Meanwhile, for Gonsalves, it will be a return to familiar territory, with the team’s captain highlighting, “This is no strange place for me, and for some of the guys on the team. We all know what it takes to excel in Hong Kong. It’s no easy place because those teams are more regularly invited to the Sevens circuit when we (Guyana) have to wait an entire year to play and we have to actually qualify.”
“It’s going to be tough, so we’re going to see how much practice games we could get with teams out of our group and we’ll try to get up with the speed of the game because that’s one factor that works against us.
“Our chances are good and despite our showing the last time, we’re going out there to show that we belong at the top level and we’re not an underdog team,” Gonsalves added.