Rugby: French Guiana headed to Guyana for development series

The Guyana Rugby Football Union will host a 58-member contingent from French Guiana for a one-day development tournament at the Police Sports Club ground, Eve Leary, on February 2.

French Guiana will arrive on February 1 for what is a return trip. The main aim is to foster the development of the budding talents in both countries.

The categories to be contested are Under-17, Under-19 and Male and Female Senior Sevens.  Guyana had sent an Under-15, Under-19 and Senior Female team to French Guiana in March 2017.

According to Troy Yhip, who heads the Union’s youth department, Guyana’s team will consist of the players who were on tour in 2017 and this helps in transitioning them to the senior team.

“This is the kind of development we want to transition the Under-19s into the senior team. Most the guys who (were) Under-19 in French Guiana are vying for a spot in the senior team now.”

Yhip continued that if Guyana is to truly see development of the game, there needs to be financial input.

“We have new players coming through; it is just to garner the youth programme but that comes with a lot of funding so we can have coaches go into schools. These coaches, we need a salary. We don’t have full time coaches and that it something we are lacking.”

The tournament is supported by the National Sports Commission, Banks DIH Limited and the Guyana Police Force.