The Guyana Rugby Football Union (GRFU) is set to host a final pre-team trial selection game today, Saturday, November 18th, at the National Park Rugby Ground, in anticipation of the Grenada Rugby World 7s Tournament, scheduled to take place on 1st and 2nd December, 2023 at the Kirani James Athletics Stadium in St. George’s.
A twelve-player team, accompanied by Team Coach, former National player Claudius Butts, and Team Manager, GRFU President Ryan Dey, will leave for Grenada on 28th November, 2023.
Guyana’s national team will take on nine other international class 7s teams, including players from the USA, UK, Canada, Barbados, Trinidad & Tobago, Grenada, and combined UK, USA and Caribbean teams.
Rugby action (File Photo)
Guyana will be in Group A with USA Atlantis, RFN UK, the UK/USA Misfits, and the Trinidad & Tobago Defence Force.
The tournament will also host eight women’s teams from the USA, UK, Canada and the Caribbean.
Patron of the Rugby Union, Kit Nascimento, has expressed his appreciation for the substantial financial support received from the Government of Guyana through the National Sports Commission, and also support from the Guyana Olympic Association, as well as from ANSA McAL Trading, GAICO Construction, Germans Restaurant and John Fernandes Ltd.
Nascimento said Guyana’s participation in this tournament would not have been possible without the generosity of this support.
He said this is a young, largely inexperienced team which will be participating for the first time in a tournament featuring some of the best international 7s players in the world, and it would be a major challenge for the team to do well.
He noted, however, that the players have been subjected to a rigid training and fitness programme for the past few months, in preparation for the tournament, and he expects them to be competitive.
Mr. Nascimento will be attending the tournament as a Guest Official of the tournament.
