Cayman 7s pumped for RAN championships

Borrelli Walsh Cayman Rugby 7s captain Robbie Cribb in the Cayman Invitational 7s final.

A confident group of guys is set to represent the Cayman Islands at the 2017 Rugby Americas North (RAN) Sevens tournament in Mexico City from 25-26 November.

The squad is coming off a strong showing at the Cayman Invitational 7s tournament in early November, when they finished as runners-up to a strong Fidelity Ama Tsotsi side that included a former South Africa national player.

“I think it was a good start for us,” said Justin Wight. “We usually play separately on our domestic club teams. For us, it’s a good start. We went 5-1 and our only loss came in the final. It was tough but it was better that we got that out of the way, get humbled and move on for this tournament.”

Robbie Cribb, who captained the team in the tournament and will lead the unit in Mexico, was not caught up on the 17-12 result.

“It was the final that we needed, playing against a former South African Springbox. That’s the type of competition that we were looking for. In terms of preparation, we got what we needed out of the tournament,” Cribb told CaymanSportsBuzz.com.

Wight wants to show Cayman means business.

In Mexico, Cayman is grouped with Barbados and Guyana for round-robin play. However, the Borrelli Walsh Cayman Rugby 7s captain is pleased with the preparation the guys have had ahead of the international challenge.

“Looking back at the invitational and getting into the grind, we’ve blended into a team and taken what we have been doing in practice and apply it to the field. We have meshed well and know where our strengths and weaknesses are. So, we’re feeling confident. I know a lot of teams will say that but looking back, everything is looking up with positive moods at practice,” Cribb said.

Last year, in Trinidad and Tobago, Cayman was beaten by Barbados in the playoffs for seventh place and had to settle for eight. Wight hasn’t quite let that memory slip his mind.  “I want to go back out there and show them who’s boss, give them a spanking then go on and beat Guyana,” he said.

“We want to show people that we’re there to win the group and qualify for Hong Kong (Sevens), we’re not there to mess around,” Wight said.

The Rugby Americas North 7s Championships doubles as a qualifier for various of other high-level tournaments including the Rugby 7s World Cup being held in San Francisco in 2018.

The final Borrelli Walsh Cayman Rugby 7s Team was announced 17 November: R. Cribb (capt), S. Westin, D. Stringer, J. Wight, D. Montague, I. Currie, V. Tokatokavanua, M. Westin, E. Westin, M. Wilson, and A. Harvey.

 

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