– Pepsi Hornets win STAG Guyana Carnival 7’s 12 – 10 over Yamaha Caribs

Claudius Butts’ last second kick to tie the game after scoring a try, went inches wide of the goal and Pepsi Hornets celebrated winning the inaugural STAG Guyana Carnival Sevens tournament following the 12 – 10 finish at the event of 15 minutes of contest.

After ending their round-robin stage of the tournament with three wins and loss each, the two star-studded sides, Pepsi Hornets and Yamaha Caribs, thrilled the large crowd at the country’s lone Rugby facility with some brilliant display of Rugby, despite playing in ‘not so perfect’ conditions due to overnight showers.

Featuring most of the players from the country’s National Men’s Sevens team, popularly known as the ‘Green Machine’, it was the clash of the titans and Rickford Cummings put the eventual winners in the lead (5 – 0) with his try and the team’s Captain Ryan Gonsalves scored the conversion to extend his side’s advantage 7 – 0.

Not to be outdone, however, Richard Staglon, one of the many overseas-based players in the tournament, brought Caribs back into the mix (7 – 5), but his team failed in the conversion which would’ve brought them levelled with Hornets.

Cummings was once again successful getting by the Caribs defence, but Gonsalves’ kick sailed just wide of the goal but the Hornets still held on to advantage (12 – 5).

Abdullah Silverton (Trinidadian), Blaise Baily and Ronald Mayers marshalled the Hornets’ defence well but the Caribs with Staglon, butts and Vallon Adams (USA), kept their relentless pressure on the eventual winners.

With the crowd tense on the side-lines, Butts broke down the Caribs defence with his trademark footwork and sudden burst of speed, to bring his side just two points shy of forcing extra time.

But as the ball sailed from the goal, Hornets celebrated winning the tournament’s US$750 prize while Caribs had to settle for the second place purse of US$450.

The Guyana Defence Force (GDF), Panthers and the Guyana Police Force (GPF) Flacons were the other participating teams who contested the tournament sponsored by Ansa McAl (STAG), Ramps Logistics, FireSide Grill ‘N’ Chill and Guyana Carnival.