Rugby gets transport boost from President Ali; new home for sport also being explored 

The Guyana Rugby Football Union (GRFU) has received a significant logistical boost after President Dr. Irfaan Ali presented the association with the keys to a brand new 26-seater bus at State House on Friday.

The vehicle is intended to address the GRFU’s transportation needs directly, providing much-needed aid in moving players and staff for training sessions and national fixtures, especially as they prepare for the upcoming Rugby Americas North (RAN) Sevens Championship.

“Historically, when people spoke about sports in Guyana, they talked about cricket and football, and in the last five years, we have developed every single form of sport,” President Ali stated, highlighting a broader commitment to diverse national sport.

The donation fulfills promises made during consultations between the President and the GRFU a few months ago.

Another major project is in the pipeline: a new, official home for Guyana Rugby.

“We are looking to build a home for rugby, where you can have a proper rugby facility with all the training facilities there. We are looking at Diamond [East Bank Demerara], so that in the new year, we will see that coming on board,” President Ali announced.

The new bus will be immediately used as the national teams gear up for the Rugby Americas North (RAN) Sevens Championship in Trinidad.

The RAN’s annual senior sevens tournament will occur at the Larry Gomes Stadium in Arima, Trinidad, from November 21 to 23.

Guyana has won the male event seven times but has struggled to achieve cutting-edge consistency in recent years as the team transitions.

This year’s Women’s competition welcomes Bermuda and Guyana for the 2025 event.

Winners of the Men’s Tier 1 and Women’s brackets will qualify for the SVNS pathway, part of World Rugby’s evolved HSBC SVNS model.

Furthermore, the top three MT1 (excluding Canada) and top two Women’s teams will qualify for the 2026 Central American and Caribbean Games in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic.

In further support of their preparation, President Ali revealed he has struck a deal with Fitness 53, owned by former West Indies cricket captain Ramnaresh Sarwan, to allow the players to use strength and conditioning facilities free of cost.

Minister of Culture, Youth and Sport Charles Ramson Jr. also weighed in, expressing confidence in the sport. “We know rugby’s potential to restore itself to the highest level,” Ramson Jr. said, noting that this potential is a factor in Rugby being designated a core sport.

The Ministry has already significantly upgraded the training area in the National Park by providing improved lighting and washroom facilities.

The president of the GRFU, Ryan Dey, expressed his gratitude, noting the president’s pleasing “open door policy” and the equal support from the Ministry of Culture, Youth and Sport in transforming the sport.

“In two decades, they never had lights until now, and… the field is also improved to a more user-friendly surface,” Dey stated, underscoring the substantial nature of the recent improvements.

Rugby is the latest discipline to benefit from President Ali’s commitment, following similar donations to the Guyana National Rifle Association and the Guyana Cricket Board.

The Guyana Badminton Association and the Guyana Squash Association are scheduled to benefit before the end of the year, and the Guyana Chess Federation will receive assistance early in the new year.