Head of the Guyana Rugby Football Union (GRFU) Ryan Dey says that the selection of six players as part of the West Indies Rugby Team is a clear indication of the progress being made by the national rugby program.
According to Dey, “It means that the national program we have running is working and it’s just a matter of time before we put together other pieces to have the right squad to be back at the top of the Caribbean, we having five out of 12 players, representing the West Indies is something very special and it’s something we have done in the past and it shows we have the capability of reaching back to that stage.”
The West Indies unit is set to compete in the world-class Tropical 7’s Championship from April 18th-19th in Florida, USA.
The men’s team features a host of a Guyanese players, including national captain Godfrey Broomes, Lionel Holder, Owen Adonis, along Vallon Adams and Tyrese Prescod, while the women’s rugby team includes Guyanese player Carrin Carter.
Dey says the experience of competing that that tournament will put the national team in a better position for the future competitions.
“The guys will have more experience and the ones that are knocking on the door they will understand now they need to step their game up, so maybe the next time a west indies team is called up they will be there. These players together will be getting more exposure to rugby and hopefully that will lead to us getting back at the top of the region and this part of the world which is the ultimate goal,” Dey added.
The top-level rugby series will see the 7’s team battling it out in Seniors, U23, U18, U16, U14, and U12 (coed) in both men’s and women’s divisions.
The Tropical 7s is North America’s largest and premier rugby 7s festival, bringing together 200+ teams every Easter from across North America as well as from around the world.