GRFU announces RAN 7’s squad…

THE Guyana Rugby Football Union, on Friday, announced the full male and female squads set to represent Guyana at the Rugby Americas North 7’s Championship from November 21 to 23 at Larry Gomes Stadium in Arima, Trinidad.

The men’s team selected by international coach Steven Lewis and Claudius Butts will see Lionel Holder as skipper.

The winger has been phenomenal on the local scene leading his Police Falcons outfit to several titles with his explosive speed and smarts.

Former longtime skipper Jamal Angus will be his deputy along with the likes of Renaldo Niles, Shawn David, Mathew Talbot, Micheal Barrow, Jonathan Garnette, Rahsaan Dathorn-Howell, Gavin Mc Pherson, Tyresse Prescod, Godfrey Polleydore, Yannic Williams and Elisha Crawford.

Guyana’s men will play alongside Bermuda, Canada, Cayman Islands, Jamaica, Mexico and Trinidad & Tobago.

The women squad which will be competing after a decade will be led by Sabola Gray and includes Nicole Nero, Tiffany Pilgrim, Nikita Andrews, Mandy Browne, Jalena Shepherd, Aniqah Powley, Tonya Smith, Carrey Carter, Serra Persaud, Alison Smiley and Sasha Greaves.

In the women category Guyana will lock horns with Bermuda, Barbados, Jamaica, Mexico and Trinidad & Tobago.

The women will be coached by Laurence Adonis with his assistant being Tricia Monroe.

GRFU head Ryan Dey shared his thought on the team’s composition, saying, “ For our male team, I like that we have a mixture of experience and some new faces as well and the guys are the fittest that they can be and we are looking for great things; as to the females, this is a big accomplishment for the union for fielding a female team in over 10 years; we also have experience and youth there.”

The GRFU head says this is not a one-off thing as they have begun work on a youth female team to ensure continuation.

“We also have  an U-19 and under-16 girls’ teams coming up so it’s something that is good for us and something the union is proud of and we know that they will go out there and do us proud.”

Former national captain, Ryan Gonsalves, will manage both teams.

The top three men’s teams excluding Canada, and top two women’s teams will qualify for the 2026 Central American and Caribbean Games being held in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic.

Last year Canada faced Trinidad & Tobago in the Cup Final, the home team’s first final in nine years, where the Canadians continued their perfect performance with a 38-0 win.

Guyana finished seventh place after a gruelling tournament.