The North America & Caribbean Rugby Association (NACRA) have annonced the groups for the Sevens Tournament in Mexico on November 14th & 15th.

Men’s Rankings (based on previous 4 years Sevens tournaments):
1 Guyana
2 Trinidad & Tobago
3 Bermuda
4 Jamaica
5 Mexico
6 Bahamas
7 Cayman Islands
8 Barbados
9 Martinique
10 St Vincent & The Grenadines
11 BVI
12 Turks & Caicos
13 St Lucia
14 Guadeloupe
15 Dominican Republic

Group 1 - 10 matches
Guyana
The Bahamas
Cayman Islands
Guadeloupe
Dominican Republic

Group 2 - 6 matches
Trinidad & Tobago
Mexico
Barbados
St. Lucia

Group 3 - 6 matches
Bermuda
Jamaica
Martinique
St. Vincent & The Grenadines

Day 2 Men’s Format (22 Matches in Total)
Top 3 teams from Pool A and top 2 teams from Pools B and C automatically go through to the Cup knockout competition on Day 2.
3rd placed teams in Pools B and C play a one off match to decide the remaining 8th team in the
Day 2 knockout tournament (number of knockout matches = 12)
The remaining 5 teams from day 1 enter a round robin tournament on Day 2. (Number of round robin Matches = 1)

Women’s Tournament

Round Robin over two days with each of the 5 teams playing each other twice.

Combined results over the 20 Matches (10 matches per day) determines overall standings.

Source: NACRA by email

To: Chief Executives / Secretaries of all Unions & Associations in Membership of the IRB
Re: IOC decision on Rugby Sevens

I am writing to you from Copenhagen where today the IOC Session voted to include Rugby Sevens in the 2016 Olympic Programme.
This is truly an historic day for the development of the Game. The continued global expansion of Rugby is greatly strengthened by today’s decision.

I wish to personally thank you and all of the Rugby stakeholders in your jurisdiction for all of your work and continued support for this project. It was a great team effort from all of the Rugby Family
and I am proud of our achievement.

This decision will have a profound impact on the Game and while there will be challenges ahead, we can also look forward to the many benefits that Olympic inclusion will bring. As an Olympic sport, Rugby will attract new commercial partners and spectators. At the same time all of our Unions will enjoy new levels of government and access to facilities for training and development from National Olympic Committees and Government agencies as an Olympic Sport.

The IRB has already been approached by a number of NOCs eager to find out how they can develop Rugby in their respective countries. Added to this, Olympic inclusion now means that
Rugby will be given a greater opportunity to feature on the school curricula in many countries.

With today’s decision Rugby will be able to play an even greater role on the global, regional and national sporting and governmental stages allowing us to work with other sports to try to ensure that legislation and funding is in place to benefit Rugby and the greater sporting community.

Working together with a clear global vision we can drive the growth of Rugby over the next 10 years.
Thank you once again for your support and passion in helping Rugby achieve its Olympic dream.

Yours sincerely,
Bernard Lapasset
Chairman

Source: IRB by email

Rugby’s most exciting format, sevens, got under way over the weekend and it was entertaining stuff all the way.

The first of five legs of the LIME summer sevens series was played at the South Sound Ground last Saturday with the remaining tournaments set for the next four weeks.

This year sees three teams in the Premier division with the BPC Buccaneers, The Butterfield O’Neill Irish Wolfhounds and the Maples national sevens academy.

There are two teams in the women’s division with the X107.1 National VII taking on the X107.1 Eagle Rays. In the social division there are five teams with the RE/MAX Knackers, Caybrew Clydesdales, Maples, Cayman Management Ltd Ama Tsotsi and the brand new national Under–17 academy.

The tournament caters to all levels of the sevens fraternity from the elite teams of the premier divisions to the social and developing teams.

The U17 got their feet wet in the tournament with a loss to CML Ama Tsotsi and a fine comeback win over Maples in the social division. The RE/MAX Knackers had a tougher day with losses against the Caybrew Clydesdales and Maples while CML Ama Tsotsi cleaned up the division with wins over the U17, Caybrew Clydesdales and RE/MAX.

The National women’s X107.1 team are using the tournament as a warm up to the NACRA sevens that will be held in Mexico 14–15 November and looked vastly improved from last year’s squad, overcoming the X107.1 Eagle Rays in all three matches.

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The fitness levels of Guyana’s male and female ruggers are high and recovery rate is fast as training intensifies for the North America and Caribbean Rugby Association (NACRA) qualifying tournament, however, the team is trying to source the US$21,000 needed for participation.

Guyana women in action in a practice match on the weekend
As the tournament date looms, it is appealing for funds to meet its $4.2M or US$21,000 costs. The tourney will be held in Mexico City on November 14 and 15.

In a brief interview at the National Park on Saturday, the coaches and Technical Director of the Guyana team, Barbados-based Joe Whipple told Stabroek Sport that “There is no question about the team’s commitment and their fitness levels being high. Five weeks before the tournament we are where we want to be.” However, Whipple who is also the West Indies rugby coach added that, “There is need (for the players) to do some more work in the basic games skills.”
Technical Director of the Guyana rugby team Joe Whipple (third from left) makes a point to the men’s team in between practice matches on Saturday.

Technical Director of the Guyana rugby team Joe Whipple (third from left) makes a point to the men’s team in between practice matches on Saturday.

Meanwhile, National Head Coach Laurie Adonis said that the men are working hard and their recovery rate is faster than before. He expects the skills and other technical stuff to follow. “While there is a lot more work to be done,” he said, “The guys were showing a lot more progress. We are where we want to be at this stage because we do not want them to peak too early.”
Speaking of the women ruggers, New York-based women’s coach Alton Agard said that he was working with a team that is currently without three of its star players – former captain and scrum half Carrin Carter, winger Tricia Munroe and centre Latoya Hamilton. Munroe is currently on study leave; Carter is recuperating from illness and Hamilton is on maternity leave. Agard said that it was difficult to find suitable replacements for the three, especially the scrum half.

With five weeks to go, he said that the women were 65% prepared; their fitness levels are good but a lot of practice is still needed in ball passing and tackling, which are now the focus areas. The major problem, he said is that even though the team is the current Women’s Sevens Caribbean champions; the women’s champions of the Trinidad and Tobago 2008 Carib/LIAT International Invitational Sevens and the first runner-up in the Caribbean 15s, they have not played much club games locally this year neither have they taken part in any regional or international tournament for the same period.

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The USA Sevens, the fourth event on the IRB Sevens World Series, has confirmed that it is moving to Las Vegas in a multi-year commitment, beginning with its next tournament on 13-14 February 2010.

Over the past five years, the USA leg of the World Series has been held in Los Angeles and San Diego, but organisers have now opted to take it to Las Vegas.

"Vegas is about attracting people with their fun, their parties, their concerts and events and they saw rugby as a group of people globally who tour, a band of cameraderie, brotherhood and sisterhood, a group of people that comes together in celebration," said USA Sevens Tournament Director, Dan Lyle.
"We had a great time in San Diego, we had a great location and a great facility but I would say that we've had a five-fold increase in interest both domestically and internationally as we've moved to Vegas," he added.

For the International Rugby Board, the support of one of the world's foremost event capitals is another glowing endorsement for Sevens, just days after it was voted by an overwhelming 81 to 8 IOC majority onto the sporting programme for the 2016 and 2020 Olympic Games.

"Sevens and Las Vegas are a perfect fit - Sevens is great sport but also a great party and Vegas is obviously a great party town, so I see the two complimenting each other perfectly," said Mike Miller, Chief Executive of Rugby's world governing body, the International Rugby Board.
"This just shows that Rugby Sevens is continuing to grow in the USA, and that the major resort cities like Las Vegas now understand the worth of Sevens Rugby," he added.

Miller was a leading voice in Rugby's Olympic lobbying, and in the bid team at the IOC Session in Copenhagen.

"It was a great day last Friday, it's brilliant for the game of Rugby that Sevens will be in the Olympic Games in Rio in 2016 and 2020," Miller said.
"It gives rugby legitimacy in the USA. Everyone wants the opportunity to win an Olympic medal. Governments put their weight behind Olympic sports, individuals dream about winning a medal, there will be more money, more facilities, more coaching, awareness in general for rugby in the USA. Hopefully the game will continue its growth in the States and this will help accelerate it."

Source: IRB by email