Host team Caribs deliver on Day 1 of Sevens tourney

HOST team Caribs delivered quality performances on day one of the Caribs Sevens Rugby tournament at the Queen's Park Savannah (opposite Botanical Gardens) in Port of Spain on November 16. Action began from 9 am.

The conditions were sweltering at the savannah with teams trying to stay hydrated by staying under tents and drinking water.

Four categories will be contested over the weekend including senior men, senior women, Under-16 boys and Under-16 girls.

In the Under-20 girls division, Caribs defeated San Juan 7-0 and South East Port of Spain crushed School of Rugby (SOR) 31-0.

South East Port of Spain had a strong showing on the opening day, also defeating San Juan 28-0 in the Under-20 girls division.

In the Under-20 boys division, Caribs whipped SOR 17-5 and later got past San Juan and South East Port of Spain, both by the margin 21-7.

In one of the early women's matches, Royalians got the better of San Juan 20-7.

The Royalians men also demonstrated their ability on day one. Playing against Police, Jeremy Bonas gave Northerns the lead with a try, followed by another try by Mark Roberts.

Police could not match the speed of Royalians as Jonathan Stewart ran almost half the length of the field to score a try of his own.

Police scored a try in the second half, but it was only a consolation as Northerns eased to victory 29-7.

San Juan's Jaheim Matthews showed his athleticism in the Under-16 boys division. He showed his speed during the contest, running more than half the length of the pitch to put San Juan on top over Silvo.

Silvo got a try of their own, but Matthews continued to be a handful for Silvo as he converted another try. Silvo were made to work to score, as their players had to battle through tackles and show teamwork by passing the ball around.

San Juan held on to win 17-12.

The second and final day of the Caribs Sevens tournament will be held on November 17 from 9 am. The top teams will advance to the semifinals, which will be followed by the finals.

It is a busy period for local rugby as the Police Sevens tournament was held earlier this month. Following the Caribs Sevens tournament, the 2024 Rugby Americas North Sevens tournament will take place at the Larry Gomes Stadium in Malabar, Arima from November 22-24. The tournament will feature teams from around the Caribbean and North America.