VI beaten by Barbados in NACRA 7’s Q/Finals
The team then had to face Jamaica in the Plate semi final, going down 43-14 and lost to Bermuda, 33-0, to finish 8th in the Tournament.
They wrapped up the tournament, which was won by Guyana, 33-28, over Mexico, who had seemingly appeared to have things under control, leading 21-7 at one point before Guyana showed the resolve and belief in themselves to score a penalty try with under a minute left to take the lead 33-28.
Guyana scored 26 points in its comeback, leaving the pro-Serpiente crowd shell shocked as they watched a nearly one minute discussion between the referees and assistant referees before the indication of a penalty try was given. Guyana absorbed the ensuing kick-off and kicked the ball into touch to take the win.
Ryan Gonsalves, Captain of the Guyanese, said he and his teammates have a lot of belief in their ability to overcome adversity.
"We have had this happen in 15s as well," he said after the match. "We just stay calm and keep doing the right things and get back into the game."
In other men's action Barbados finished the tournament in third place with a 17-14 win over Trinidad and Tobago.
The Plate Final saw Cayman Islands double up on Jamaica 22-11.
Both the finalists on the men's side booked spots to the Toronto 2015 Pan Am games next July.
.png)
.png)
.png)
Follow Us On
18 Responses to “VI beaten by Barbados in NACRA 7’s Q/Finals”
The BVI made it to the quarter finals despite being the smallest country in the competition. While they did indeed get 'whooped' by a team of professional and semi-professional athletes, they also did extremely well considering the circumstances. The majority of the team's members are under the age of 20, and every single one of them went into this tournament knowing people back home were expecting them to fail. They went even though they knew they'd be competing against nations several times their size, with more players to choose from and more facilities to take advantage of. Jamaica has a population of ~2.8 million. Barbados has a population of ~285,000. The BVI? ~30,000.
The BVI doesn't even have a proper field with lights to practice on, yet they're expected to compete with teams recruiting professional athletes and playing games on a weekly basis. Finishing above Curacao (Pop. ~150,000), St. Vincent (Pop. ~110,000) and St. Lucia (Pop. 182,000) is a huge feat!
How about we offer support to the young men and women in our community rather than thoughtless criticism? The heterogeneity of this team is something to be celebrated not resented. A generation of children is being raised independent of the xenophobic bigotry of our predecessors and you're here berating the team for it's diversity? These boys are forming bonds and friendships that transcend the barriers of race and creed. Do you really think the indignant propagation of a segregated society is the solution to the race problem?
"I have a dream that one day down in Alabama, with its vicious racists, with its governor having his lips dripping with the words of interposition and nullification - one day right there in Alabama little black boys and black girls will be able to join hands with little white boys and white girls as sisters and brothers."
-Martin Luther King