Rugby Union briefs media on impending plans & schedules

Jun 25, 2016 Sports

By Rawle Welch

The Guyana Rugby Football Union (GRFU) held a press briefing at the Guyana Olympic Association (GOA) Headquarters to apprise the media on the some of its impending plans and schedules for national teams’

Members of the Guyana Rugby Football Union that hosted a press briefing yesterday. (From left-right)- PRO Daniel Anderson, National Coach (Seniors)- Laurie Adonis, Vice-President- Joshua Griffith and Head Coach (U-19)- Troy Yhip.

engagements overseas.
At the briefing was Vice-President of the Union Joshua Griffith, PRO Daniel Anderson, Head Coach of the senior team Laurie Adonis and Head Coach of the Under-19 team Troy Yhip, who all gave remarks pertaining to their specific roles.
Adonis, who spearheaded Guyana’s ‘Green Machine’ to victory over nemesis Trinidad and Tobago last weekend, which helped them regain the RAN title from the Trinidadians, was vociferous in his call on the corporate community to be more forthcoming with their support to the team which has once again made Guyana proud.
“This is a team that has been doing it for many years and when you consider the kind of support that the other countries in the Caribbean give to their rugby teams and for us to beat them all, it means that we are deserving of more,” Adonis emphasised.
Adonis noted that the next game which is scheduled to be played on July 23 against either Mexico or the Cayman Islands will be no pushover and possibly a step up in quality so there is a need for the Union to call up its best players to give Guyana a better chance of winning.
He issued an appeal to the business sector to offer its financial resources to make it possible for the players residing overseas to return and bolster the team.
The Coach praised the efforts of all the players for their victory over the Trinidadians.
Griffith questioned on the support from Government and other entities disclosed that the Government of Guyana through the National Sports Commission has answered every request made in a positive manner, informing that the Director of Sports did ask the Union to formulate a document of their request for support and they are in the process of doing so.
He commended the Government and all those entities that have answered the call and urged others to duplicate the act.
Yhip, who is presently spearheading the U-19 squad preparations for the upcoming RAN Championship reported that the players are responding positively to training and he expects the team to do well in Miami, USA.
He informed that because Guyana was away from junior level rugby for a few years they now have to play in the second tier and should they win then they will be elevated to the top tier and he is optimistic that they team could achieve that.
“We have been in training for quite a while now and many of the players have been around since 2010 with some even playing at the senior level locally so there is a certain amount of experience and knowledge of the game,” Yhip pointed out.
According to Yhip, some of the other teams in the tournament include Turks & Caicos, St. Vincent & the Grenadines and St. Lucia.
Meanwhile, Anderson revealed that in support of Olympic Day, the Union will be hosting matches this Sunday at the National Park, starting from 11:00 hrs.
He also revealed that Regional Co-ordinator Trinidad and Tobago’s Kwanieze John will be in Guyana to conduct workshops for 33 teachers and persons desirous of learning the game from July 11-15.