Emily delays TT U-19 rugby team

TRINIDAD and Tobago will square off against Canada and Bahamas when they participate in the Caribbean Under-19 Rugby Championship, which starts on Tuesday in Jamaica. The event was originally carded to begin today but was rescheduled due to the passage of Hurricane Emily. The storm caused the delay of the departure of the 22-member TT squad on Friday afternoon, and the availability of flights would not be guaranteed before tomorrow. This championship will also double as a 2006 Men’s Under-19 Rugby World Cup regional qualifier.

Among the TT selectees are Mickael Gittens, Dakon Maynard, Akeem Des Vignes, Justin McLean, Shaka Martin, L’Sean Dyette, Daryl Scott, Don Sucre, Thomas Mosses, Kirby Hosang, Gordon Dalgleish, Kordell Joseph and Nicholas Charles. Completing the team are Miguel Celestine, Heron Graham, Nathaniel Dinzey, Craig Watkins, Kevin McLean, Ben Chapman, Laim McGee, Ederson Nathaniel and Michael Foster, with Sean O’Farrell as the coach, Dale Trotman as the assistant coach, Colin Peters as manager and Andre Ferguson as the physiotherapist. In other local rugby news, Stag Trinidad Northern retained their Trinidad and Tobago Rugby Football Union (TTRFU) Ruggerama title with a hard-fought 5-0 win over Defence Force last weekend.

National player Mark Hamilton got the game’s only try on the sloppy outfield at the Queen’s Park Savannah I pitch. Meanwhile, the TTRFU 2005 League will get going this weekend, with matches in both the Championship and Senior Divisions. In the Championship category yesterday, Northern opposed Harvard at the King George V Park, St Clair while Rainbow were out to disarm Defence Force at the Savannah 3 pitch, Queen’s Park Savannah. Action will switch to the Seniors today with Tobago hosting Caribs, Eastern Graduates welcoming Northern and Rainbow heading up to Arouca to face YTC. All matches will begin at 4.30 pm.