Belizean Rugby Team Off to Turks and Caicos Competition

The Belize National Rugby Team left for the Turks and Caicos Islands today. They will be competing for the first time in an international tournament. It’s a historic step for sports in Belize. Team Belize will be in group C of the Fireman’s Rugby Americas North Sevens 2021 being played on Saturday and Sunday. Belize will play against Guyana and Bermuda. The top two teams will advance to the 2022 World Rugby Sevens Challenger Series. We met the team outside the Phillip Goldson International Airport this morning before their departure.

Tony Gillings

Tony Gillings, President, Rugby Belize

“I am excited but I am also nervous. This is the very first time we are taking a rugby team to a world rugby tournament like this. To be honest, it has been a bit of a nightmare to get things organized, because COVID has hit just about everything, flights, medicals, everything has been hit. So it’s been a bit of a nightmare, but I am finally here, the team is hear and we are roaring to go. We are the newbies, so everybody is going to be looking at us. This is the first time we have done this. Every other country has been there several years, some of them are, I wouldn’t say they are old at it, but they have that experience. And, they don’t have no idea what we can do. They have never seen us play before. So, we are the newbies, they got all eyes on us. They are going to want to see what it is Belize is going to do, what tricks have they got. And, I reckon we will surprise a few people, I do.”

Edrick Matus

Edrick Matus, Vice Captain, Rugby Belize

“I know it is going to be an adrenaline rush, but what I am most looking forward to is seeing how well our team is going to play as a team, the chemistry level, the synchronization out there. It is a high intensity game, but believe me it is the adrenaline that will pretty much take off that tiredness. It is also, as a player, to have the will, power and determination to keep on going and to see your players on that field. If they are on the back side slipping, I think that gives you more of a motivation, and if you think about family even though you are tired to your core, that you just want to collapse. Maybe you will see that, because the first minute or two you will see us already gasping, because that is how intense and quick the game is.”