The Barbados Rugby Football Union has announced the names of the players who will represent Barbados at the 2018 Mitsubishi Electric Rugby Barbados World 7s (MERBW7s) Tournament set to take place on December 8 and 9.
Sean Ward, Barbados JetBlues men’s captain, 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,” 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 United States, 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 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. (PR)
Barbados JetBlues MERBW7s Men’s Team:
Sean Ward (captain), Shane Howard, Dario Stoute, Wilford Boxill, Mikyle Walcott, Kris Carrington, Enrique Oxley, Jae Bowen, Mitchell Morris, David Burke, Nicholie Bonnet, and 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, and Kirsta Maloney. Reserves: Izora Devonish, and Janna-Lise Granville-Benjamin.
