Three of the five Guyanese players in the West Indies Rugby team to participate in the upcoming Sevens World Series Rugby tournament scheduled to be hosted in San Diego, California, next month, received their rebate tickets yesterday from Reservation Supervisor of Caribbean Airlines (Guyana) Limited, Ms Taiwo Worrell.

Making a brief statement prior to handing over the tickets, Worrell told those gathered, including president of the Guyana Rugby Football Union (GRFU) Noel Adonis, president of the West Indies Rugby Union Kit Nascimento and the three players Theodore Henry, Claudius Butts (who has been appointed captain) and Albert La Rose, how pleased Caribbean Airlines (Guyana) Limited was to be making such a gesture.

“From time to time we try as much as possible to support the development of sports in Guyana and this happens to be one of those times. I just want to take this opportunity to wish the team all the best and we at Caribbean Airlines hope that they bring home the bacon.”

In a brief statement, Nascimento thanked Caribbean Airlines for their timely gesture.

“Caribbean Airlines (Guyana) Limited has long been a supporter of rugby. And this time they are supporting Rugby West Indies by providing substantially discounted tickets for the Guyana players to get to Barbados for the preparatory camp and come home,” Nascimento stated.

He further disclosed that the flight to San Diego for the tournament will be taken care of by the host who also has the responsibility of supplying accommodation and transportation for the participating teams.

The West Indies team, one of only two that is representing the West Indies at sports, the West Indies cricket team being the other, will be grouped with Fiji and Samoa in Pool ‘B’.

Although their opponents are sturdy in the Cup aspect of the tournament, much is expected of the West Indies team, with Nascimento predicting that they will advance to the semi-finals of the Plate and go one step further to win the Shield.

“It would be wonderful if we win the Cup. But we have a good opportunity to get into the final of the Shield and even go one step further to win same. There are three phases, the Cup, Plate and Shield and I look forward to the West Indies to get into the semi-finals of the Plate and certainly the semi- finals of the Shield and even winning same.”

Adonis took the opportunity to thank the donors for their generosity on the ticket rebate and urged the team to look at it not as an individual thing, but as a team.

The trio leaves Guyana on Sunday for Barbados and will depart for San Diego on 28th January.