It was tough going for both Barbados teams at the 2024 Rugby Americas North (RAN) Sevens, as the men finished eighth and were relegated from Tier 1, while the women finished sixth and last at the Larry Gomes Stadium in Arima, Trinidad & Tobago.
The men, fifth out of six teams a year ago in Canada, had a strong start to the competition. They defeated Bermuda 19-7, Jaden Murrell at one point running it home straight from a midfield scrum to make it 12-0.
On the second day of the tournament, Barbados kept their slate clean, coming from 0-5 down to Guyana to win 21-10. By mid-afternoon, a heavy shower had descended on the venue, leading to a declared draw with Canada.
Having navigated Pool A, the Bajans would have been confident heading into the knockout phase of the series. In the quarterfinal, however, they could get nothing going against the home team. Trinidad & Tobago, who would go on to lose the Tier 1 final against Canada, blanked Barbados 29-0.
Into the plate playoffs, Barbados faced Bermuda a second time. Barbados scored early to make it 5-0, but Bermuda tied it, then went ahead from a lineout on the stroke of halftime. In the second period, a punt downfield eventually got Bermuda over the touchline to make it 19-5. A late Barbados score finished it off at 19-10.
Jaden Howell shows Bermuda his heels.
That left Barbados to meet Guyana once again in a seventh-place playoff. The Bajan men appeared to be well on top early. Howell ran the opening try in, then Jeremy Nelson added a lovely breakaway try for a 10-0 advantage. That score held until the interval thanks to fine defensive work by Barbados.
On the restart, the Green Machine found a second gear, running in their first try within the first minute of play, and converting to cut the deficit to three. With just over a minute remaining, the Guyanese scrum half took the winning try in for a 12-10 victory. Barbados men will play in Tier 2 at the next RAN Sevens.
The women got just one win at the weekend, overcoming the Trinidad & Tobago ‘B’ team 14-12. Barbados, however, lost to the Trinidad & Tobago seniors 36-0, to Mexico 33-0, to the Dominican Republic 12-0, and to Jamaica 22-5.
In the fifth-place playoff, the rematch with Trinidad & Tobago ‘B’ turned out to be a lopsided affair, as the Trinbagonian lasses ran out to a 22-5 rout. (TF)
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