…commends MCYS for installing lights at rugby field in the National Park

AS the Guyana Rugby Football Union (GRFU) focuses on development this year,

president of the Union, Ryan Dey, says the body will give attention to the 15’s
format of the game until about June-July of 2025.

‘For the first half of this year we have two 15’s tournament, and these tournaments are strictly for ranking, world ranking. Right now we are ranked 58 out of the 135 countries that play rugby. Guyana will be playing Cayman Islands on April 26 at the National Park; after that Guyana will be heading to Barbados where, on May 17, they will be playing the Bajans,

Dey who also plays for Panthers Rugby Unit says that the 15’s rugby push is because of the long-term impact it has on the sport in fielding more players.

‘The 15’s tournament is the complete game and the form of the game that brings in more people. You have big guys, small guys whereas in 7’s you are looking for fit and faster………without 15’s rugby, right here in Guyana we would not have the amount of players we have today, like I said 15’s is 15 versus 15 on the same field; we have to have about 30 players in order for us to go anywhere outside of this country to play 15’s’.
He said they are working to bring former top regional player and Coach, Theodore Henry, together with Coach Larry Adonis to boost the 15’s programme to make the team better rounded.

Dey says they will begin preparation this weekend for the national team which will be used along with some planned competitions over the next couple of months to build the team’s strength toward the next opponent.

‘I will have to say shout out to the Ministry of Culture Youth and Sports, who brandish our field with flood lights, so even now we start with the U-19, we start training from 05:30 hours to about 08:00 hours, so

there is no way a guy can say, he has to work unless you are working shift…..so I hope that can eliminate the excuse that we have to work’
Guyana’s National Rugby team finished seventh in the Rugby America’s North Sevens tournament in Trinidad and Tobago in November last year.

In the quarter-final round they came up against Jamaica who defeated the locals 38-14 on a wet surface.
The next edition of the 7’s competition is set for November of this year according to the GRFU head.