Team Barbados ready for world-class Tourney

Bridgetown – The Barbados Rugby Football Union has today officially announced the names of the players who will represent Barbados at the 2018 Mitsubishi Electric Rugby Barbados World 7s (MERBW7s) Tournament that is set to take place at Kensington Oval over December 8^th-9^th.

Barbados JetBlues male Team Captain, Sean Ward, says his team is looking forward to taking on the high calibre of international Rugby teams making their way to the island this week, just for the Tournament. “The boys can’t wait to play some of the best-of-the-best in the Rugby fraternity and we have our eyes focused directly on the prize. And, to win on home soil and at such an iconic Barbadian sporting stadium like Kensington Oval will be the icing on the cake, so watch this space,” he said.

Competing against some of the world’s best Men’s and Women’s Club Rugby teams, both our male and female national teams will be going head-to-head with teams from Scotland, England, Wales, Canada and the USA, as well as Guadeloupe, St Lucia, and Trinidad, in the longest running Club Rugby 7s Tournament in the Caribbean and in what organisers have touted as ‘one of the richest Women’s Club 7s tournaments’ on the Rugby competition calendar.

With US $30 000 prize money now on offer, the Tournament is looking to rival both the internationally-renowned Hong Kong Sevens and Dubai Sevens events, especially in the Women’s Division. This has meant that this year current England Rugby 7s player and Olympian, Heather Fisher, is now headlining the growing list of top Women’s Rugby players travelling to Barbados, just to compete. The official MERBW7s Tournament Ambassador will also be making a visit to The Lodge School on Thursday 6^th December with her UK team Rugby Ecosse Feminin to talk to students about the positive impact and lessons learned from her sporting career which continue to shape her life today.

Continuing its focus on using sport as a tool for social development, MERBW7s will then partner with the Rotary Club of Barbados (South) and The Royal Shop of Barbados to host its second annual Gala Charity Event the following evening, Friday 7^th December, at the Radisson Aquatica Resort Barbados with proceeds going to the Stephen Alleyne Sport for Life Programme which assists the nation’s ‘at-risk’ youth through sport. The event includes an exciting Charity Auction as well as cocktails, a three-course dinner, and BBC Sports Broadcaster John Inverdale as special guest speaker.

MERBW7s Tournament tickets are still available through TicketPal’s Caribbean/USA site
https://www.ticketpal.com/ and at all TicketPal outlets in Barbados. Patrons can also purchase tickets at the gate on both game days. For Tournament Corporate Hospitality Suites and Package bookings, visit http://www.rugbybarbadosworld7s.com/corporate-hospitality-…/ .

For more MERBW7s information and Gala Charity Event reservation details, visit www.rugbybarbadosworld7s.com or @BarbadosSevens on Facebook.

Barbados JetBlues MERBW7s Male Team:

Sean Ward (Captain)
Shane Howard
Dario Stoute
Wilford Boxill
Mikyle Walcott
Kris Carrington
Enrique Oxley
Jae Bowen
Mitchell Morris
David Burke
Nicholie Bonnet
D’andre Phillips

Reserves:

Nathan Corbin
Simeon John
Alex Rogan (Physio)

Barbados Flying Fish MERBW7s Women’s Team:

Karen Holmes (Captain)
Emilie Trotman
Kayla Durant
Jara Emtage-Cave
Althea Belgrave
Marissa Browne
Danielle Philips
Keanna Maps
Vanya Edwards
Seanee Dorant
Jessica Derrell
Kirsta Maloney

Reserves:

Izora Devonish
Janna-Lise Granville-Benjamin