Debutants Jamaica entered the stadium to thunderous applause their coach Conroy O’Malley put down to the Usain Bolt factor, as the tiny nation rides a wave of sporting popularity instigated by six-time Olympic sprinting champion’s exploits. “He set the trend for us so I expected this to happen,” said O’Malley. The support wasn’t enough to lift the side to victory, as they fell 27-17 to Georgia as the world series pre-qualifier got under way, but there was enough talent on show from the Jamaicans to keep the crowd happy – and to warn rivals they won’t be easybeats over the weekend. “Basically, I said coming out here just to go out and put on a good show,” said O’Malley. “I was expecting a little bit more from them. I thought they would be a little bit too forceful but that didn’t happen so I am happy with that.” The Jamaicans found it tough to deal with the brute power of Georgia’s Irakli Machkaneli (two tries in the first half) and Viktor Kolelishvili (two in the second) but they rallied as the game wore on, despite being reduced to six men twice for infringements. “It didn’t do much damage,” […]
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No, they are not called the Reggae Boyz but skipper Tyronie Rowe is quick to point out that he and his teammates can string together a catchy tune. “Of course, we can all sing reggae, after all we are from Jamaica,” smiled Rowe, who along with his teammates have been left wide-eyed by the lights of Hong Kong – despite surveys that the city is the world’s worst for light pollution – and is eager for their first taste of the Hong Kong Sevens. Unlike their more famous soccer cousins the Reggae Boyz, who enjoyed international acclaim when they qualified for the 1998 World Cup, the Jamaican rugby team are still waiting for their moment in the sun. This weekend will go a long way to giving them confidence and Rowe is hopeful of a praiseworthy debut. “We are definitely aiming for a top four finish. We have travelled far and we have been waiting a long time for this,” said Kingston-born Rowe. Jamaica qualified behind Mexico from the North America and Caribbean region for the 12-team pre-qualifying competition this weekend from which four teams will go to London in May for the final qualifying event for core-team status. […]
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The Hong Kong Rugby Football Union (HKRFU) is proud to be hosting the biggest (and best) ever Cathay Pacific/HSBC Hong Kong Sevens in the 38-year history of the tournament. For the first time ever, Hong Kong will welcome 28 teams to the Sevens in 2013. This year’s Sevens will comprise the HSBC Sevens World Series (HSBC SWS) competition with the 15 international core teams on the Series plus Asian Sevens champions Hong Kong, alongside a 12-team pre-qualifier competition to determine the eventual entrants for the final HSBC SWS qualification event at the London Sevens in May. The move to 28 teams is the first increase in the Hong Kong Sevens field since the 24-team standard was adopted in 1984. The Cathay Pacific/HSBC Hong Kong Sevens 2013 will also mark the largest ever tournament held to date as part of the HSBC Sevens World Series since its inception in 1999. As such, it is entirely fitting that the international television coverage is set to break an HSBC SWS record with 23 individual broadcasters taking the live coverage worldwide and live/delayed coverage reaching its widest footprint ever with an expected reach of 257 million homes in 144 countries. Of the 28 […]
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Donovan Ricketts remembers the summer of 1998 well: “People ask me about France ’98, ask me to make comparisons to that team in every interview I do,” the veteran goalkeeper told FIFA.com with a kindly laugh, recalling Jamaica’s first and only trip to a FIFA World Cup. “It was a long time ago, and I was very young.” Ricketts’ teammates in the current Jamaica team watched the ‘98 Boyz huddled around TVs in their neighbourhoods, playing and carrying on with their friends in the streets. They were just boys and they dreamed recklessly of being the ones on those screens someday. But Ricketts was there in the flesh, a 20-year-old back-up goalkeeper soaking it all in from the bench. “The experience was crazy,” said Ricketts, now with Major League Soccer’s Portland Timbers. “It meant so much to Jamaica and to me.” “That team from ’98 was a better team than now,” added Ricketts, now 35, vice captain, and approaching a century of caps. “Most of us were playing our club football in Jamaica, so we were together in camp day in and day out,” he said of that 1998 side, coached by Brazilian Rene Simoes, that captured the world’s attention. […]
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In a sensational final day of the 2013 Inter-Secondary Sports Association (ISSA)/Grace-Kennedy Boys and Girls’ Cham-pionships, Holmwood Technical High came from well behind at the National Stadium yesterday to clip defending champions Edwin Allen High for the girls’ title, while Calabar High easily retained the boys’ crown. In a meet which saw 18 records falling on the final day and 30 overall, Holmwood wore down long-time leaders Edwin Allen, took the lead in mid-afternoon and came away with a narrow victory. The Maurice Wilson-coached Holmwood tallied 310.5 points to regain the title, their 10th in 11 years with Edwin Allen on 305.5. The top five was completed by St Jago (208), Vere Technical (202) and Hydel (157.50). On the boys’ side, Calabar had just too much allround quality for their rivals and won their 23rd title while Jamaica College (JC) surprised Kingston College (KC) to take second spot. The top five: Calabar – 299, JC 258.5, KC 247.5, Wolmer’s Boys 121, St Jago 107. The green and black army, coached by Michael Clarke, showed admirable grit to muscle their way past pacesetters Jamaica College and Kingston College. Calabar’s assistant coach Omar Hawes was elated with the victory. “It’s a big […]
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Several records went crashing on yesterday’s final day of the 103rd Inter-Secondary Schools Sports Association/GraceKennedy Boys and Girls’ Athletics Championships as the defending champions Calabar and former champions Holmwood Technical marched to the top spots. Calabar, who were locked in a three-way battle at the start of the day, came out roaring – taking the lead when it counted and outlasting their main rivals, Kingston College (KC) and Jamaica College (JC). Holmwood trailed Edwin Allen for most of the day but pulled off an amazing victory as the girls from Clarendon lost points which they were expected to capture. Amid blaring horns and banging drums; oversized banners and a kaleidoscope of school colours, yesterday’s final day of ‘Champs 2013′ was already a spectacle long before the big crowds – avoiding intense sunshine – turned up in the late afternoon session. Zaavan Richards signalled KC’s intentions from the outset, setting a new mark in the very first event of the day – the boys javelin open; with a 59.66m throw, which, like silver medallist Orlando Thomas’ 59.59m, bettered James McDonald’s 58.75m distance, posted in 2011. Richards’ schoolmate Nathaniel Bann was equally impressive in the Class Three Boys 400m, showing tremendous […]
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