Four TT ruggermen for LA Sevens

A squad of 20 players was selected yesterday after the end of the inaugural Digicel-sponsored North America/West Indies Sevens Tournament at the Garrison Savannah, outside Bridgetown.

The United States won the women’s section and Jamaica won the men’s league.

Coach of the West Indies team Joe Whipple said yesterday he was excited about playing in the tournament next year and said he had a core of players who could challenge the world’s best.

The squad is made up of players from nine Caribbean countries. They will participate in the Trinidad Sevens in the first weekend in December and will later have fitness and training session under the watch of coach Whipple.

"We’ll show some interesting things and I’m sure we’ll surprise a few people when we get there," he said.

"This will be part of the World Series and we will be in the big leagues."

The Los Angeles Sevens Tournament is a shortened version of the Rugby games with teams made up of seven players per side and matches played over seven minutes per half. It is the equivalent of one-day cricket.

Bob Showan, a member of the West Indies Rugby Union said it was good time for the game in the Caribbean and the team to Los Angeles would present an excellent chance to gauge the level of the sport in the region.

The other countries expected to play in Los Angeles are England, New Zealand, South Africa, Australia, Canada, United States, France, Argentina, Kenya and Mexico.

SQUAD: Kevin McKenzie, Theo Henry, Claudius Butt, Albert Larosk (Guyana), Kelso Figueroa, Adam Fredericks, Brian O’Farrell, Jason Clarke (Trinidad and Tobago), Odelle Hyman, Elroy Graham, Orlando Jones, Alfred Fung, Antonio Gibbons, Jamie Vernon (Barbados), Damien Pearson (British Virgin Islands), Hollis Greene (St Vincent), Jerry Charles (St Lucia), Derrick Hurdle (Bermuda), Devon Woodseed (Bahamas).