Latest update April 19th, 2024 12:59 AM
Jan 08, 2015 Sports
By Rawle Welch
The late great US tennis star Arthur Ashe once said, “One important key to success is self-confidence. An important key to self-confidence is preparation.”
Last year’s success story in local sports was undeniably the excellent achievements of the national rugby team which won the NACRA 7’s and 15’s championships shared with sensible leadership from the Union itself, two components that came together to bring about the ultimate fairy tale.
The ‘Green Machine’ as they are familiarly referred to was in dominant mode throughout the year, playing unbeaten in every major regional competition to re-establish themselves as the best in the NACRA region.
The role of the Guyana Rugby Football Union was critical as it played a pivotal role in influencing the team’s success, pulling out all the stops in ensuring that the players were well prepared, all this in spite of the continual constraints they face.
President Peter Green and the executive led the way in letting the players believe that they can attain the targets set and the consistent sermons begun to raise the level of confidence within the team so much so that even the new players with little or no previous experience felt the need to increase their level of play and self-assurance.
The general standard set by experienced players such as Claudius Butts, Richard Staglon, Theodore Henry, Ronald Mayers, Kevin McKenzie, Captain Ryan Gonsalves and Peabo Hamilton really helped motivate the younger players in becoming locked into the system and as we know the rest is history.
They instigated a work ethic and camaraderie within the squad, reminding the junior players daily about what it meant to be on a team that represented being a champion and the importance of donning national colours.
At the beginning of the year the team commenced its campaign without any international titles to their name, having lost their 2013 Caribbean Southern Zone 15’s title to arch rivals Trinidad and Tobago, while an administrative glitch combined with the lack of adequate funding prevented them from attending the 7’s version so there was extra motivation for the team to regain lost ground and its rightful status as the Regions’ best.
With a ranking of 62 from 155 test playing nations at the beginning of the year, the ‘Green Machine’ displaying the passion and skill that saw them capture the NACRA 7’s title for six consecutive years, destroyed all and sundry in both formats and by the end of the season had climbed the international rankings to be placed 42, its best placing ever.
The success meant that the team qualified for this year’s Pan Am Games in Toronto, Canada and will also be returning to the Hong Kong Sevens with the Rio 2016 Olympic qualifiers firmly in its sights.
Apart from the men’s team accomplishments, the Union with support from the Guyana Olympic Association and the Venezuela Olympic Association was able to send male and female developmental teams to participate in the South American Beach Rugby Games in Venezuela and while they failed to medal, reports indicated that the experience gained was valuable.
This format of Rugby is fast becoming popular worldwide with NACRA slated to host a Championship annually from 2016 and the teams attendance allowed them to become more familiar that format and could prove beneficial going forward.
Another significant feat that should be mentioned is the fact that the Union enjoyed a lot of local activity in the form of competitions, Courses and the continued development of junior rugby and this is a solid move since it assures the continuity of the sport long after the current cadre of players make their exit.
However, while the year could be classified as an outstanding one for the sport, the Union must take some heat for the state of the women’s game.
Even if one is to concede that they took over the reins of the sport at a time when the Ladies segment was struggling, the new Body failed to instigate change in the status of affairs they met.
The Ladies who’re three-time Caribbean champions to many were undeservedly neglected and no matter what reasons the Union may want to offer at this time, the general view is that an intensive effort was not made to procure funding for them to participate in the NACRA Championships or even mobilise a team to commence preparations.
Let’s hope that a more determined effort is made this year to ensure that Ladies rugby is part and parcel of the Union’s Programme this year.
While the lament about the lack of promotion of the team will continue, it is the fervent wish of the team’s supporters that the Government, Ministry of Sport (MoS), National Sports Commission (NSC) and the corporate entity begin to realise the significance of the team’s achievements against all odds and adequately reward them for such.
The Government’s goodwill of assuaging the transportation cost mainly, the MoS and NSC continued lack of recognition and support for the team must change in addition to the minute number of corporate entities that tender financial assistance.
This is a team that prepares exclusively at home with no foreign component added to it and to go to international competitions and perform the way they do deserves tangible national recognition.
It could take the form of house lots and real financial assistance, whatever shape it takes it should be significant.
Where is the BETTER MANAGEMENT/RENEGOTIATION OF THE OIL CONTRACTS you promised Jagdeo?
Apr 19, 2024
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