I will be arranging a National Sevens training session at the end of this month so we can reacquaint ourselves with what needs to be done. At this point we will be only 10-weeks away from the Caribbean Championships in Barbados which are going to be held on November 18 & 19, 2006.

Caribbean 7s Rugby has changed somewhat over the years

I believe this picture comes from a calendar that came out a few years back

If we are going to mount a serious challenge at this tournament then the vast majority of you need to work on your weaknesses be they fitness, strength or skill related or a combination of all three as is the case. This won’t happen by sitting on the couch hoping it will come right in the end, it also won’t happen if you’re waiting on one of your buddies to train with.

The motivation to get off your backside and make of yourself what you can as a rugby player comes entirely from within and that’s all you need to know. You all know well enough where you are coming up short as individuals but if you have any doubt where your weaknesses are I would be happy to review them with you.

Follow up:

Cape Fear is a distant memory and whilst we acquitted ourselves reasonably well based on our relatively poor to average pre-tournament fitness levels that won’t win us the Caribbean crown.
Those of you running a sub 10 beep test need to sort yourselves out during this off season period and get yourselves up into the 12’s so you can play the game properly.

For the avoidance of doubt, during the off season, which is now, you should be doing some form of hard excercise at least 5-times a week be it a combination of gym work, beach running or skill work with emphasis on your weaker areas.
When the new rugby season kicks in around October 1, this should drop off to gym work twice a week for maintenance and one aerobic session combined with training twice a week with your clubs. If you can’t find that level of dedication within you then you (we) have a problem.

From experience, it takes a big effort to get into this routine but once you’re into it and you see the results start to show it gets easier and easier until you genuinely enjoy the sessions.


What I am really looking for is 3 to 4 of the current squad to raise the standard where it needs to be, this will then gives these team members full rights to turn to the other members of the squad who are letting the team down and tell them to

"sort their sh*t out and get up to scratch."

This is the peer and team pressure we need to move up the levels. There is nothing worse than having to play a team sport with someone who can’t keep up or compete, they drag the level down.


Full National Sevens Team training will start around October 1 and will be held on a Wednesday to avoid clashing with traditional club training nights (Tuesdays & Thursdays). For those of you who work shifts you will need to ensure your schedule is arranged so you can attend these sessions AND your club session as you will need to attend both.



Finally, let me recap the National Sevens structure for the upcoming 2006 – 7 season which is being formatted with the sole aim of our winning the 2007 Caribbean Sevens Championship which will hopefully be held in Nassau if our bid is successful.

I will confirm the date of the upcoming training session later this month.


Related Articles: Jeremico Cooper Back From Cayman Sevens | Bahamas Rugby at The Cape Fear 7s | IRB 7s Increasing in Popularity