THE country’s national rugby 15s team will go into battle on Saturday, June 22, at the Guyana Defence Force Base, Camp Ayanganna.
The game, which was initially set for the National Park had to be shifted according to president of the Guyana Rugby Football Union (GRFU), Ryan Dey, because of the effect of the rainy season on the rugby playfield.
“We had to change the venue from the National Park, because of the time of the year, we see there is a lot of rainfall and currently maybe like half of the ground is under water and also, we haven’t gotten around to fully completing the dressing rooms and wash- rooms to facilitate an international tournament. We also have problems with light in the National Park and ground, just in case the game goes a little later for some reason,” Dey said.
Patron Kit Nascimento was sure to point out that the commission has offered the necessary support, making technical and other personnel available for the movement to the GDF ground and has endeavoured to make the needed upgrade for the usage of the facility in the future.
GRFU president Dey says that the union has just about of half of what is required (financially) to host Trinidad, but are expected key partners to support in the coming weeks for the successful hosting of the match-up.
“We have gotten [support] from the government, like Kit said, before real, substantial amount last year but for this year, we haven’t received anything thus far. I have had conversations with the Director of Sport (Steve Ninvalle), he gave his ok that we will get support before the tournament ends, so hopefully in the new week,” the GRFU boss said.
He also added that support has been forthcoming from the private sector, adding, “Corporate Guyana is coming on board and with us now starting to win because everybody in Guyana likes a winner nobody likes a loser, so hopefully we have one foot in the door; we can continue our winning ways, so we can attract more sponsorship out of this country.”
He said the game is costing them 2.5 million to host, with support garnered for just over a million dollars up to Friday.
The game is the return leg of the Green Machine’s Rugby American North (RAN) 15s championship match-up with Trinidad and Tobago.
The first leg ended in a 24-23 victory for the Green Machine at the Hasely Crawford stadium in Trinidad.
The games are part of the qualifier for the 2027 World Cup challenge in Sydney, Australia, from October 1 to November 13 2027.
The major sponsor for the international match-up has been Ansa Mcal with support from Robert Fernandes.
The GRFU team also announced that the unit will boast new team kits sponsored by Pegasus Hotel and Muse Bar, among others.
The game will scrum off at 15:00hrs with the battle to be live streamed on NCN’s social media sites.
