–Captain to be named this week for trip to Jamaica

By Sean Devers
GUYANA’s U-19 Rugby team will head to Jamaica to compete in the Rugby America’s North (Rans) U-19 competition to held at UWI’s Mona Campus ground from July 12-17.
The 61-year-old former National Rugby player, Sherlock Sam, has been appointed Manager of the team and has been working along with Coach Larry Adonis and some senior players in getting the squad up to scratch for what is expected to be a tough trip to ‘Reggae Country.’

Sam, also known as Solomon, informed that a Captain should be appointed this week before the 23-man team is selected to depart Guyana on July 10.
Asked if he was satisfied with how preparations were going, Sam informed that he was.
“Yes, but there are a few grey areas the coaches are still working on mainly on rucks/maul,” disclosed Sam who added that the GRFU’s budget is close to US$40,000.
“The Ministry of Culture, Youth & sports, Guyana Olympics Association and RUGBY AMERICA NORTH(RAN) have provided much-needed funding, plus Corporate Guyana has been very generous,” stated the Team Manager.

“It’s a new team playing in their first international tournament, so I won’t single out anyone. What we have is loads of hard workers going after a team effort,” posited Sam.
Sam said the biggest challenge for the GRFU is sponsorship in general to help build capacity in schools, grassroots community programmes and clubs.
“There is no rugby outside of Georgetown at the moment. We started a programme in Linden, Berbice, West Demerara, on the Linden Highway sometime back, but we were unable to maintain that programme due to lack of funding.
“There are only three clubs: the Guyana Defence Force, the Guyana Police Force and the Panthers’ Rugby Club,” lamented Sam, who said that training sessions are being held in the National Park.