Sevens team making WC finals realistic – Nascimento

Jul 18, 2008 Sports

– will need a minimum of US$35,000, UK-based Giles cops Guyana’s MVP award

By Rawle Welch
“The opportunity to put our Rugby Sevens team in the World Cup is far more realistic than that of the football team,” President of the West Indies Rugby Union (WIRU) Christopher ‘Kit’ Nascimento told the media during a press briefing which was held yesterday, at Olympic House.

Nascimento, who along with Guyana Rugby Football Union (GRFU) President Noel Adonis, Senior Vice-President Robin Roberts and Coach of the Under-19 squad Laurie Adonis attended the briefing, said that some US$35,000 will be required to adequately prepare the national Sevens team if they are to compete at a high level and stand a chance of emerging as one of the top teams at the upcoming NAWIRA Sevens Rugby World Cup Qualifiers which will be played on October 25-26 in the Bahamas.

The top officials in the sport also presented an overview of Guyana’s performance at the just concluded NAWIRA Under-19 Junior World Trophy Qualifying Tournament which was held in Barbados that saw Guyana place fourth.

The competition was won by the Cayman Islands with Mexico securing the runner-up spot followed by last year’s champions Jamaica.

Guyana, who arguably has the best Sevens team in the Region, will need a series of pre-tournament warm-up matches to maintain and even improve their level of play to ensure qualification to the World Cup finals.

“Teams from outside the region will be targeted to get our squad to the level required to do well at that tournament,” Nascimento said.

He cautioned the GRFU not to sit on their laurels and believe that because we were the winners of the Caribbean Sevens last year it a given this year.

He referred to the recent U-19 tournament where the perennial powers Guyana, Jamaica and Trinidad and Tobago were shut out by teams they were expected to beat.

“Unless the senior Sevens team is provided the opportunity to engage in valuable practice games it will be difficult for them to defeat teams such as the United States of America and Canada, regardless of their talent.”

Some of the other teams that will compete in the tournament include Mexico, British Virgin Islands, Barbados, Bermuda, St. Vincent and the Grenadines, Cayman Islands, Trinidad and Tobago, Jamaica and the Bahamas.

The WIRU President during his presence at the briefing gave credit to the high level of play witnessed during the U-19 tourney, adding that all the teams are definitely on par right now.

Meanwhile, Adonis expressed thanks to the coaching staff, players, parents and the corporate community, all of who played an important role in making Guyana’s participation possible.

UK-based Rupert Giles was named Most Valuable Player for Guyana and has been identified among a list of players to tryout for the Sevens team. Sensei Winston Dunbar to attend Wado-Ryu Karate-Do Academy in England

Technical Advisor for Wado-Ryu Karate in Guyana, Sensei Winston Dunbar, is set to take part in the 2008 Wado-Ryu Summer Course at Edgehill College in Bideford, England.

The 5th Degree Black Belt, who heads the Banks DIH Club, leaves Guyana today for the course which runs from July 20 to 25 and is expected to achieve his 6th Dan.

Heading the Academy’s course will be 9th Dan Master Shiomitsu, Hanshi Shihan and son of the grandmaster Sensei K. Ohtsuka.

Sensei Dunbar has spearheaded Wado-Ryu Karate in Guyana for many years with lots of championship wins for his clubs.

He recently opened the Tuschen Wado-Ryu Academy on the East Bank of Essequibo. This will be Dunbar’s 5th visit to England.

Latest News