Caribs Rugby Football Club and Defence Force lifted the men and women’s titles during the 2019 Caribs Rugby Sevens at the Barataria Sports Ground, Sixth Avenue Extension, Barataria, last weekend.
In the men’s final of the two-day event sanctioned by the T&T Rugby Football Union, the first in a series of six seven-a-side tournaments, Caribs battled past Harvard 17-14 while Defence Force women sprang a surprise in the women’s final, beating Harvard 19-7, on Sunday’s final day of matches after a gruelling day of round-robin competition a day earlier at the same venue.
The Under-18 Boys’ final was a far cry from the other main draw deciders, with Northern II blanking Rydeus 26-0 for the Cup.
The winning teams received trophies and prize money from Wolff, Rapso Imagery, Aquablast, Piarco Air Services, Pascal Bakery, BT rentals, Gatorade, Trotters, ZaZou Restaurant, Staglon Building & Maintenance, and Clamic Services.
T&T is the only country in the Caribbean that has a seven-a-side rugby series and these competitions assist in the continued development and spread of the sport within the country.
The series will also assist the local rugby union technical committees at all levels to review the talent on display for selection to the various national teams as well as the T&TRFU Fixtures Committee in seeding and developing a ranking for local clubs.
The TTRFU is endeavouring to partner with the Ministry of Planning & Development, Ministry of Sport & Youth Affairs and Ministry of Tourism in their continued vision to ensure sport is not only played for recreational purposes but developed from the grassroots level to be promoted on the international sporting calendar as part of a sport tourism drive.
Results
November 2
(Men’s Division)
Pool A
Harvard bt Caribs 21-14
Royalians bt Police 28-0
Caribs bt Royalians 21-19
Harvard bt Police 22-5
Carib bt Police 38-12
Harvard bt Royalians 21-5
Pool B
Exiles bt Rainbow 21-12
Northern bt Defence Force 27-7
Northern bt Exiles 7-0
Rainbow bt Defence Force 27-12
Defence Force bt Exiles 28-0
Rainbow vs Northern 7-7
(Women’s Division)
Defence Force bt Police 28-0
Royalians bt Harvard 20-0
Royalians bt Police 28-0
Defence Force bt Harvard 19-5
Harvard bt Police 28-0
Defence Force bt Royalians 20-5
(Under-18 Boys Div)
Pool A:
Royalians bt Harvard 20-0
Rydeus bt Harvard 10-0
Rydeus bt Royalians 28-0
Pool B
Northern II bt YTC 10-0
Caribs bt Northern I 29-0
YTC bt Northern I 20-0
Northern II bt Caribs 26-10
YTC bt Caribs 17-0
Northern II bt Northern I 29-7
November 3
(Men’s Division)
Cup semifinals
Harvard bt Exiles 24-12
Caribs bt Northern 21-12
Bowl semifinals
Royalians bt Defence Force 20-7
Police bt Rainbow by default
Seventh place Shield
Defence Force bt Rainbow by default
Bowl Final 5th/6th playoff
Royalians bt Police 48-0
Plate Final 3rd/4th playoff
Northern bt Exiles 24-19
Cup Final
Carib bt Harvard 17-14
(Under-18 Division)
Cup semifinals
Rydeus bt Youth Training Centre 17-7
Northern II bt Royalians by default
Cup Final
Northern II bt Rydeus 26-0
Bowl semifinals
Harvard bt Northern I 29-0
Caribs - bye
Bowl final
Harvard bt Caribs by default
Plate final
Youth Training Centre bt Royalians by default
(Women’s Division)
Semifinals
Harvard bt Royalians 14-10
Defence Force - bye
Final
Defence Force bt Harvard 19-7
Final placings
(Men’s Division)
1st. Caribs; 2nd. Harvard; 3rd. Exiles; 4th. Northern; 5th. Royalians; 6th. Police; 7th. Defence Force.
(Women’s Division)
1st. Defence Force; 2nd. Harvard; 3rd. Royalians.
(Under-18 Boys’ Division)
1st. Northern II; 2nd. Rydeus; 3rd. Youth Training Centre; 4th. Royalians; 5th. Harvard; 6th. Caribs; 7th. Northern I.
Upcoming Events
YTRC 7s: Youth Transformation & Rehabilitation Centre, Arouca - Nov 16-17.
Rainbow 7s: Marabella Recreation Grounds - Nov 23-24.
Police 7s” (Venue to be confirmed) - Nov 30-Dec 1.
T&T International 7s: St. Mary’s College Grounds, Serpentine Road, St Clair, December 7-8.