President of the Guyana Rugby Football Union (GRFU) Noel Adonis has made a call to the local corporate community to offer support to Guyana’s rugby efforts since the local men’s side is likely to represent the region at the World Cup Sevens championships in 2009.

Adonis was speaking at a dinner over the weekend arranged by German’s Restaurant at New Market Street to honour the Guyana men team’s success at the just concluded NAWIRA (North American, West Indies Rugby Association) Sevens championships in the Bahamas.

Guyana retained the men’s title at the tournament which attracted 12 teams from North America and the Caribbean; the Guyanese had also won the tournament in 2006.

He said the business community should follow the lead of the Urling brothers Clint and Hubert who offered to host a dinner for the players in appreciation of their achievement.

“We need to see more support forthcoming from the business community,” Adonis said.

He remarked that the team is gearing itself for the challenges ahead and called on the players to stay focused.

Recently, President of NAWIRA Guyanese Christopher “Kit” Nascimento called for more government assistance.

According to Adonis, the winners of next year’s NAWIRA tournament will represent the region at the World Cup Sevens championships in Dubai in 2009.

Guyana defeated Jamaica 7-5 in a hard-fought final and had victories over Martinique, Trinidad and Tobago, USA South, Turks and Caicos, Barbados and Mexico.

Five Guyanese players Albert La Rose, Claudius Butts, Theodore Henry, Dane Parks and Richard Staglon were also named to the West Indies team to continue training for a possible tour to San Diego, USA early next year.

The players are expected to travel to Trinidad and Tobago this weekend for a try-out for possible selection on the West Indies team.