[dropcap]A[/dropcap]fter a four year hiatuses the Saint Lucia Rugby Football Union (SLRFU) participated in the Rugby Americas North (RAN) 7s tournament at Bellevue Plantation and Polo Club, Waterford, St Michael, Barbados.
The tournament took place last weekend. This year’s international competition was a Men’s and Women’s qualifier for the 2019 Pan American Games, and 2019 Hong Kong Sevens. Fourteen male teams and ten female teams took part in the tournament.
At the beginning of the tournament Saint Lucia was seeded in last position. By the end of the tournament the male team ranked 11th out of 14 and the female team ranked fourth out of 10 teams. In their first game, Saint Lucia female annihilated Guyana 25-0, lost to Mexico 20?5, vanquished Barbados 29-5, and edged Dominican Republic 12-7. Their 3-1 result was enough to see the Saint Lucia female team through to the semi-finals.
In the semi-finals, the Saint Lucia female team was beaten 22-5 by Trinidad and Tobago. In the third place playoff, the Lucian females lost 5-0 to Jamaica, the lone try of the game scored in the dying seconds of the first half. The fortunes of the Saint Lucia men were not as favourable as that of the women. They lost to Trinidad and Tobago 20?0, Cayman Islands 47?0, but beat Saint Vincent and the Grenadines 7?0.
In the “Trophy” competition, the men beat Turks and Caicos Islands 31?21, lost to British Virgin Islands 26?10, and once again defeated Saint Vincent and the Grenadines 21?12. A very special mention goes to Chantel John (see separate story). She is one of the most experienced rugby referees in St Lucia and was invited to officiate at the recently concluded RTEK Rugby America’s North tournament.
The SLRFU contingent was made up of 30 persons, 12 female players, 12 male players. The contingent included Zhenya C Allain (team physiotherapist), Renatta Frederick and Wedrel St Clair (team coaches), Roger Butcher and Sixtus Pamphile (team managers) and Macorliff Duvigneau (fitness coach). The female team consisted of Lioanna Alexander, Marline Chery, Christel Cayole, Demiah Charlery, Kisha Edgar, Mylene Grunberg, Electra Marcelle, Megan Phillip, Kameka President, Winnie Della Rene, Mary Roberts and Nelta Samuel.
Male team: Jerry Charles, Lenford Eugene, Flavien Gabriel, Neighman Lascaris, Vitus JnPierre, Ervin Joseph, Claudius Medouze, Dwayne Nathaniel, Ethan Phillip, Jeanmael Phillip, Tyrese Samuels and Tavarey Stanislas. Looking forward the SLRFU is hoping to participate in the Barbados World 7s in Barbados December 8 – 9, 2018 and the staging of a Beach Rugby Tournament December 16.
Men’s final standings: (1) Jamaica (champions), (2) Guyana, (3) Bermuda, (4) Mexico; (5) Trinidad & Tobago, (6) Cayman Islands, (7) Barbados, (8) Dominican Republic, (9) Guadeloupe, (10) British Virgin Islands, (11) St Lucia, (12) St Vincent & the Grenadines, (13) Turks & Caicos, (14) Curacao.
Women’s final standings: (1) Mexico, (2) Trinidad & Tobago; (3) Jamaica, (4) St Lucia, (5) Dominican Republic, (6) Bahamas, (7) Guyana, (8) Bermuda, (9) Barbados, (10) Curacao.
The Saint Lucia Rugby Football Union would like to thank their sponsors The Saint Lucia Olympic Committee Inc; National Lotteries Authority; Ministry of Equity, Social, Justice, Empowerment, Youth Development, Sports, Culture and Local Government; Theobalds Consulting Ltd; Butcher and Associates Inc – Project Managers and Consulting Engineers; and The Body Holiday Saint Lucia.
