Corporate sponsors that have partnered with the Guyana Rugby Football Union  (GRFU) met the Guyana Men’s and Women’s Sevens teams who are preparing to participate in the North American and Caribbean Rugby Association (NACRA) Men’s and Women’s Sevens Championship in Mexico, in the National Park, Rugby Ground, yesterday.

Only three of the four major sponsors who had indicated that they would be meeting teams showed up.

They were Gerry Gouveia, Chairman of the Private Sector Commission, Marketing Director of the Georgetown Telephone and Telegraph (GT&T) Company, Wystan Robertson, GT&T’s senior marketing Officer, Rhonda Johnson and Marketing Manager of the New Guyana Pharmaceutical Company (GPC) Trevor Basoo.

Guyana’s male team will be defending their title against 10 other Caribbean teams while the female team will be competing against four other teams from November 14 – 15.

All three of the partners directed their speeches along similar lines and extended their best wishes to the teams and the union.

The sponsors pledged their continued support to the union, stated that it was a pleasure to work alongside  people who work for the love of the sport and stated that they should keep working hard to keep the dignity of their sport high.

Gouveia disclosed that he has been working along with Nascimento to get the support of government bodies and corporate sectors for not only rugby but for sports in general.

Nascimento, who is the president of the West Indies Rugby Union, stated that getting the two teams to their destination along with the cost of the accommodation which amounted to approximately US$35,000 was an enormous task.

He stated that both teams were at an international level of fitness and that he did  not see any reason why the men’s team should not be able to successfully defend its title as they have won the tournament for the past three years.

The GRFU has identified Laurence Adonis as the Head Coach of the male team and Clinton Clarke as his assistant.

Alton Agard is the female Head Coach  while Robin Roberts has a been named as the manager of the team.