Royal runaround to rehabilitate changing rooms and showers at the National Park Rugby Ground

May 31, 2024 Letters

Dear Editor,

I write this letter as patron of the Guyana Rugby Football Union (GRFU) because I was astonished to read in the Sunday Stabroek Sport, 26^th May, 2024, that a straightforward request from the Rugby Union to the Protected Areas Commission (PAC) to rehabilitate the changing rooms and showers at the National Park Rugby Ground to enable the hosting of an International Rugby Match and subsequently made to the Ministry of Culture, Youth & Sport for support by the Protected Areas Commission (PAC), “is currently before Parliament and awaiting approval from Cabinet”.

The Union has, in fact, estimated that this rehabilitation can be affected for less than $1M.

Here are the facts. The Guyana Rugby Football Union (GRFU) is due to host the Trinidad & Tobago Rugby Football Union (TTRFU) on 22^ndJune, 2024, in the Southern Caribbean round of the Rugby Americas North (RAN) Qualification for the World Rugby Cup Championships.

I wrote the Minister of Sport, Mr. Charles Ramson Jnr., on 13^thMay, 2024, so informing him and drew his attention to the fact that the players’ changing rooms and showers at the National Park Rugby Ground require immediate rehabilitation in order to host this international match.

The National Park has neglected to maintain these facilities over a number of years. I attached to my letter to the Minister, detailed recommendations for upgrading these facilities. Receipt of my letter was acknowledged on 14^thMay, 2024, by the Minister’s Personal Assistant.

In the meantime, I had spoken with the Commissioner of the Protected Areas Commission (PAC), Mr. Jason Fraser, responsible for the administration of the National Park on the matter and I attended, along with other Members of the Executive Committee of the GRFU, a meeting hosted by the Assistant Commissioner of the PAC, Mr. Fitzroy Sealey, on 17^thMay, 2024. The meeting agreed to carry out sufficient emergency upgrading of the changing room facilities to enable hosting of the Tournament providing that the Ministry of Sport would support the undertaking, including upgrading of the playing field and installation of lighting for the playing field as the PAC did not have the budgetary capacity to do this work.

Commissioner Fraser wrote to the Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Culture, Youth & Sport, Ms. Melissa Tucker, on the same day, requesting “Funding Support for Rehabilitation of Rugby Field and Infrastructure” on an urgent basis.

Mr. Fraser concluded the letter to Ms. Tucker inviting representatives from the Ministry to meet with the PAC at the National Park on 20^thMay, 2024, “to develop the scope of work and with your support to start the rehabilitation of the rugby field in time for the match in June”. Mr. Fraser’s letter was copied to the Chairman of the Board of Directors, PAC, Mr. Robert Persaud, and to the Union. I am aware that Mr. Fraser has spoken directly to Permanent Secretary Tucker and to the Minister of Sport requesting an urgent decision.

At the time I write this letter, the Protected Areas Commission still awaits a decision from the Ministry of Sport. We are now 23 days away from the Tournament and the Union will have to inform Rugby Americas North very shortly as to its preparation for hosting the Tournament.

I have made several attempts to contact the Permanent Secretary without success.

Guyana defeated Trinidad & Tobago,24-23, in the first match of the 2 games qualifier, hosted at the Hasely Crawford Stadium in Trinidad, a stadium with comparative facilities to Guyana’s National Stadium at Providence.

Should Guyana be unable to host this Tournament, Guyana would forfeit the game and be significantly penalized, probably fined and disqualified from any further part in the Championship. I must point out that Guyana was able to successfully participate in the Grenada Rugby World Sevens Championship Tournament in November last year with the full and generous financial support of the Ministry of Sport, along with the Guyana Olympic Association (GOA) and private sector company sponsorship.

Yours sincerely,

Kit Nascimento

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Kit Nascimento, National Park Rugby Ground, rehabilitate, showers, Trinidad & Tobago Rugby Football Union (TTRFU)

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