Rugby coach hopes to bring back winning culture

Former national team standout Theodore  Henry, who’s now on his second appointment as head coach of Guyana’s National Men’s Team, is hoping to bring back his national team’s winning ways ahead of the 2021 Rugby Americas North (RAN) Sevens.

Set to kick off on October 16th at Meridian Field in Providenciales, Turks and Caicos, the 2021 RAN Sevens marks the region’s return to international competition from COVID-19. 11 nations, including Guyana, are set to compete over the two-day competition with the winner set to represent RAN in next year’s World Rugby Sevens Challenger Series.

Having helped Guyana win six RAN Sevens championships and played all around the world, including the legendary Hong Kong Sevens and on the then-named IRB Sevens Series in Sand Diego, Henry is trying to use his experience and technical knowledge to lead the next generation of Guyanese Rugby talent.

Henry’s squad got back into training in July at the National Park in George Town, kicking off a three-month push to be ready for the RAN Sevens in October. A Certified Fitness Trainer and Active Fitness instructor by trade, Henry is putting an emphasis on strength and conditioning with his young athletes who have not played in an international competition since 2019.

Following Saturday’s fitness assessment, Henry, who is a certified fitness trainer and active fitness instructor, revealed that the Green Machine will be focusing exclusively on strength and conditioning for the next three weeks, with the ultimate aim being to bring all the players up to par.

Guyana, known as “The Green Machine”, has an impressive record since the RAN Sevens began in 2004:

2019 (6th Place), 2018 (Silver Medal), 2017 (Silver Medal), 2016 (Silver Medal), 2014 (Gold Medal Winners), 2011 (Gold Medal Winners), 2010 (Gold Medal Winners), 2009 (Gold Medal Winners), 2007 (Gold Medal Winners) and 2006 (Gold Medal Winners)

In the 15-a-side game, Guyana is currently ranked 58th in World Rugby rankings, one behind Cayman Islands, and took part in the 2018 Americas Rugby Challenge alongside Mexico, Colombia and Paraguay.

The entire tournament will be streamed live on RAN’s website, with scores, schedules, highlights, and other tournament highlights found on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram. (RAN)