Cayman’s National Men’s XV’s team will soon take flight to compete against Guyana, in their hometown, in the world ranking Rugby Americas North (RAN) tournament.
RAN is the governing body for rugby union in the North American continental region that operates under the authority of World Rugby, under which the Cayman Islands plays its international test matches.
The upcoming fixture is scheduled for 26 April in Georgetown, Guyana.
Cayman’s National Men’s team manager, Richard McAree, told the Compass, “Our expectation is always to play to win.”
“We have a strong training regime backed up by a group of men who are proud to play for each other and Cayman,” he said.
Each season, Cayman’s National Men’s XV’s team competes in the RAN tournament between February and June.
McAree said Cayman, in recent years, has played against Mexico and Bermuda, with matches being set up based on the respective country’s world rankings.
Currently, according to World Rugby rankings, Cayman is in 50th place and Guyana in 55th.
Regarding Team Guyana, McAree admitted, “We expect strong opposition, but will be absolutely focused on a victory.”
He acknowledged that thanks to fundraising events and the generosity of their sponsors, Dart and financial services firm FFP, “We are able to keep young Caymanians studying and working abroad, engaged with the team.”
He added, “In this case, we will be supporting six young Caymanians based in the UK to travel and play with us in Georgetown, Guyana.”
On this trip, Team Cayman will be supported by head coach Jamie Barnwell, director of rugby James Greenwood and union president Mick Kehoe.
Beyond highlighting this match, McAree recognises that playing rugby is a great way to instill discipline, strong values, team ethics and courtesy. He believes that these qualities are all positive life attributes that Team Cayman displays on and off the pitch. “They are great ambassadors for club and country,” he said.
