Barbados men and women both emerged champions, as the Barbados Rugby Football Union was well represented at the recent Independence 7’s Tournament, hosted by the Saint Vincent & the Grenadines Rugby Union (SVGRU).
Teams from Barbados, Saint Lucia, and Saint Vincent & the Grenadines, along with a special over-45 Veterans team, delivered electrifying matches that displayed the skill, heart, and sportsmanship synonymous with rugby.
Among the five men’s teams, Barbados won 29-7 over the SVG B team, 12-5 over SVG A, and 12-7 over Rogues from Saint Lucia. Rogues defeated St Vincent & the Grenadines 34-17, and SVG 2 22-0. The sole win for SVG A was a 24-0 drubbing of their B side.
Coach Anthony Lambert told Barbados TODAY that the participation of the women in particular created an opportunity to expose a number of players, including three juniors, to international competition.
“It was a momentous occasion for Barbados women ‘s rugby, to send two sevens teams to St Vincent. We were thankful for St Vincent’s support last year when they sent a men’s and women’s team here for our sevens competition, and so we wanted to reciprocate,” observed Lambert.
“The H1X1 Barbarians joined us with a men’s team and we had 22 players, 11 of which this was their first overseas trip with the women’s rugby programme and so this was a great opportunity.”
Although St Vincent & the Grenadines was the only other women’s team, the Barbados women fielded two teams for the first time ever, playing as Team Blue and Team Yellow, with Team Blue coming out on top. Team Yellow lost 12-0 to St Vincent & the Grenadines, but Team Blue beat the home team 10-0, also defeating Veterans 32-19.
Lambert told Barbados TODAY that this competition will help the national team on its road back to the highest level of regional competition. This month, the team will be setting its sights on a return to the RAN Sevens in Trinidad & Tobago.
“We are very much looking forward to the opportunity of playing more rugby in the next year,” he noted. “And more especially the Rugby Americas North tournament in November, which is in Trinidad, and which is kind of the pinnacle of our annual calendar, as we will be able to play teams like Mexico, Trinidad, Jamaica, and I believe the Dominican Republic will be there.”
Dellon Durrant, Chairman of the SVGRU, lauded his women players, several of whom were also meeting overseas competition for the first time. “Their disciplined play and cohesive teamwork underscored their commitment to advancing women’s rugby in the region,” he said, “proving they are a formidable force on the field and an inspiration to future female athletes in Saint Vincent & the Grenadines.”
(TF)
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