With a record number of international participating teams, the region’s flagship Rugby 7s Tournament promises three (3) days of back-to-back competition. From November 22 to 24, 2024, the Larry Gomes Stadium in Arima will play host to 18 Rugby Teams which consist of two (2) tiers for the Men’s category and one (1) tier for the Women.
Trinidad and Tobago is no stranger to hosting international rugby events. It is the birthplace of the longest running International Caribbean Rugby Sevens Tournament, which is now the Grenada Rugby World Sevens, Tobago’s Shaw Park saw Age-Grade Rugby Stars in impressive action at the Commonwealth Youth Games in August 2023, and with the return of the RAN Sevens to the nation, having last hosted here in 2016.
The Trinidad & Tobago Rugby Union (TTRU) in collaboration with The Sports Company of Trinidad & Tobago (SporTT), is excited to level up the production and capitalize on tourism, for which rugby fans from all around the world are well known. In addition to the revenue that will be generated for local businesses by the tournament, hosting the region’s premier tournament helps the Union to align with the stated goals of the Ministry of Sport & Community Development, SporTT and the Trinidad & Tobago Olympic Committee, by uplifting our local rugby product.
Up for grabs in this year’s competition will be the promotion of the 1st placed Tier 2 Men’s Team to Tier 1, while a spot in the 2025 HSBC World Sevens Challenger Series awaits the winners of Tier 1 Men’s and Women’s bracket. Also, the top 2 placed male and female Caribbean Teams will qualify their Under 20 teams for the 2025 Junior Pan American Games. On the other side of the coin, the last placed Men’s Team in Tier 1, will be relegated to Tier 2.
Countries set to participate in this year’s tournament are as follows:
Men’s Tier 1: Barbados, Bermuda, Canada, Cayman Islands, Guyana, Jamaica, Mexico, and Trinidad & Tobago
Men’s Tier 2: Curacao, Dominican Republic, St. Vincent & The Grenadines and Turks & Caicos Islands
Women: Barbados, Dominican Republic, Jamaica, Mexico, Trinidad & Tobago and Trinidad & Tobago 2nd Team.
The Trinidad & Tobago National Rugby 7s Teams will be captained by the seasoned veterans, Shakeel Dyte and Leah Kintiba for the Men’s and Women’s Teams respectively, both of whom have led their respective Clubs to success over the years, while the Trinidad & Tobago Women’s 2nd Team will be captained by Ts Davis from the Royalians Rugby Football Club.
The Larry Mendez coached Men’s Team will be boosted by UK-based players, Ruairi O’Farrell and Keon Sylvester, as they try to make their mark on this tournament in an attempt to lift the coveted trophy. Trinidad and Tobago will be entering two (2) Women’s Teams and the undertaking was a great ask for the Head Coach, Richard Staglon and his Technical Team. The Trinidad & Tobago Women will be one of the front runners for this year’s event and can expect stiff competition from their Caribbean counterparts.
The Trinidad & Tobago Senior Men’s & Women’s’ National Rugby 7s Final Teams for the 2024 RAN Sevens are as follows:
T&T Senior Men’s Team: Shakeel Dyte (Captain), Ruairi O’Farrell (Vice-Captain), Nigel Ballington, Keston Earle, Jahreem George, Donté Hazzard, James Phillip, Agboola Silverthorn, Isaiah Small, Keon Sylvester, Jonathan Taylor & Keishon Walker.
Reserves: Atiba Rodney & Damian Wilkinson.
T&T Senior Women’s Team: Leah Kintiba (Captain), Aqiyla O’Brien (Vice-Captain), Latifah Carliste, Teresita Dillon, Alyssa Fields, Apphia Glasgow, Akila Lowman, Thea Marrast, Ketara Munroe, Nicolette Pantor, Kyiala Simon and Kanisha Vincent.
T&T Senior Women’s 2nd Team: Ts Davis (Captain), Ornella George (Vice-Captain), Abigail Adams, Kalena Burke, Nathalia Cadiz, Aaliyah Davis, Elektra Dennis, Chaneisha John, Fay-Ann Johnson, Quaneisha Oliver, Shenika Paul and Special Ryan.
Reserves: Rebecca Dickson, Onica George, Marika Mendez and Julene Thomas.
