When it comes to sports the ladies usually take a back seat to the men. Not when it comes to rugby in St Lucia. The female gender took the spotlight and then some, when the St Lucia Rugby Football Union staged the Calypso Rugby Event on Sunday at the Gros Islet Playing Field.
Featured were a series of matches against Curacao who put up a good fight, but were outclassed by the senior female and senior male squad who scored almost at will.
Prior to the event underway, there was an opening ceremony where specially invited guest Parliamentary Representative for Gros Islet, Emma Hippolyte greeted everyone.
“I thank you for having me here this afternoon,” she said. “I want to welcome our brothers and sisters from Curacao and commend the president and executive for keeping the game alive from 1975 to now.”
She mentioned that back in the early days, a co-worker from the United Kingdom was responsible for starting rugby in St Lucia.
The minister applauded the young ladies and said: “They are very brave for playing this particular sport.”
She also recognized the young players from Castries Comprehensive and Babonneau Secondary School referring to them as “the future of the game.”
St Lucia played extremely well in all aspects of the game to emerge victorious by impressive margins in the two female matches and the 15-a-side game played between the male teams.
Up first was the ladies side who took charge from the opening whistle, applying relentless pressure to the visitors. They scored repeatedly through good ball movement, bursts of speed on the outside and up the middle. The game ended with St Lucia on top 55 – 0.
The second match was no different, even though St Lucia used most of its new players in this match. Captain Renetta Fredericks was devastating scoring five tries (twenty-five points) of St Lucia’s final tally of 38 points. The Curacao women also failed to score in this match.
The St Lucia men played the game of their lives to record a victory of 43 points to 19 against a spirited and talented Curacao team. The local lads scored first. Curacao responded soon after and continued to apply pressure, especially through their forwards and occasionally through their speedy backs. However, St Lucia rallied to score seven tries and four conversions to Curacao’s three tries and two conversions.
Try scorers for St Lucia were Claudius Medouze, Uranus ‘Mal’ Denis and Lenford Eugene. Four of the seven tries were converted by Colvis Samuels.
A short awards ceremony was also held after the matches. Vice President for the Caribbean Region of the Commonwealth Games Federation, Fortuna Belrose, presented medals and cups to the male and female teams.
The male players were: Jerry Charles (Captain,) Akim Herbert, Gavin Similien, Imran William, Cletus Junior Joseph, Danlin Samuel, Zayvon Augustin, Mario Chicot, Cyril Marius, Henson Hunte, Colvis Samuels, Claudius Medouze, Lenford Eugene, Roger Butcher, Uranus ‘Mal’ Denis, Simon Kelsey, Lyndel Norville, David Long Kong, Andrew Monroe and Edlon Charlery.
The female players were: Vonette Victor,
Renetta Frederick,
Senetta Vigee, Paulyn Eugene, Valerie Farrel, Crescentia Innocent, Chantel John, Anthea Butcher, Sylvia Butcher, Emily Remy, Sharnell Blanchard,
Yasmin Antoine and Electra Marcelle.
