Posted: July 2008

TCIFRU prepares for CANAM Tournament in New York.

The preparations are well under way for the upcoming Can­Am Rugby Tournament being held in Saranac Lake, New York. This annual gathering of rugby teams from North America sees nearly 100 teams competing in a weekend rugby extravaganza.

This year the TCIRFU will be flying the TCI flag for the first time, as a senior squad prepares to take on the clubs from The US, Canada and beyond. The squad has been training for many weeks now, both on the beach to build up endurance as well as at the Downtown ballpark. The tournament is being run over two days in the Lake Placid area of upstate New York, where the cooler climes will be a bonus to the TCI team which has been preparing in the hot summer conditions on Provo. There will be a minimum of 5 games played, with more depending on the success that is had in the first 5. Saturday will see the TCI Flamingos playing three matches of 44 min’s each game. The game duration increases as the teams progress with the final being 50 min's long. The TCIRFU will be sending an experienced squad of 20 players to the tournament with trainers and supporters. Local stars Jahmal Misick and Dorel Williams will be carrying the hopes of the nation.

Training has been intense, with contact sessions held on Thursday nights downtown at the ballpark. The Clubs Public Relations Officer, Gareth Butler reports that all the players are in good spirits and the excitement is building. Competition for starting places is intense with a number of intriguing battles for the starting line­up.

Club president Keith Burant said that “the previous loss to the Bahamas in the Conch Cup in February is still fresh in the memory and the lads are very keen to go out and win their division to make amends as well as showcase the TCI as a tourist destination. With the number of US and Canadian clubs attending, it will be an opportunity for the TCI to represent the Caribbean and encourage these teams to in turn pay a visit to the islands for a match.” The team leaves on Friday August the 1st and plays it first match on the Saturday morning. Supporters can follow along with the TCI team’s progress at the tournaments website www.canamrugby.com to see how they are getting on.

Twice weekly training sessions are being held at the beach on Grace Bay in front of Mango Reef on Tuesday nights at 6pm and on Thursday nights at 6pm downtown at the ballpark. All are welcome to come along and have a run. The juniors are also continuing to train on Saturday mornings at 9am on the beach, and this week will be the start of a midweek summer camp run by Jamie Tait at the Ballpark - Wednesdays at 3pm. Refreshments will be provided along with player of the day prizes. All welcome.