By Donald Duff
President of the Guyana Rugby Football Union (GRFU) Noel Adonis said yesterday he expected keen competition from the four teams which will contest the Tropical Rhythm Dem Life Caribbean Women’s Rugby championships which commences from 2.30pm this afternoon at the National Park playing field.
“Actually I think it is going to be a very keenly contested tournament. There is not much to choose from among the four teams,” said Adonis.
Adonis said women’s rugby in the region had been coming into its own over the past two years by virtue of increased attention being paid to that branch of the sport by the national rugby associations of the Caribbean.
“In the past two years, more attention has been given to women’s rugby,” Adonis said pointing that Jamaica as Caribbean champions would start as favourites with Guyana, Trinidad and Cayman Islands probably seeded second, third and fourth respectively.
Adonis said most of the players would have arrived in Guyana on Saturday night and apart from bragging rights, the teams would compete for the North American and West Indies Rugby Association (NAWIRA) championships 15s trophy. The trophy will be presented to the winning team by a representative of NAWIRA two of whom were already in Guyana.
Adonis said Niall Brooks, regional Planning Officer, and newly appointed Regional Development Officer Scott Harland, are already in Guyana.
Harland, said Adonis, will use the opportunity to liaise with officials and coaches of the teams in an effort to arrive at training programmes to facilitate the continued development of the sport.
Two other regional officials, referees Bob Showan and Rommel Parris of Barbados along with Conrad Arjoon of Guyana, will officiate in the tournament, said the GRFU top brass.
Adonis said yesterday that all systems were go and that the venue for the championships, the National Park was in tip top shape.
He informed that Minister of Culture, Youth and Sport Dr. Frank Anthony will meet with key officials of the teams prior to the start of the championships.
In today’s opening fixture Jamaica will oppose Trinidad and Tobago from 2.30pm while Guyana will clash with the Cayman Islands in the second encounter which starts at 4.30pm.
The championships continue tomorrow with the Cayman Islands opposing Jamaica from 2.30 and Guyana and Trinidad and Tobago contesting the second fixture some two hours later.
The competition continues on Saturday with the Cayman Islands opposing Trinidad and Tobago from 2.30pm and what should be the grand finale Caribbean champions Jamaica taking on hosts Guyana.
