Last weekend was the traditional West Indies-Guyana tournament under 19 Men's 7-a-side rugby in the town of Goyave. Four players from the Archiball de Saint-Martin club were in the Guadeloupe selection.
This tournament is the best in the French territory of the Caribbean since it brings together the best players from the clubs from Guadeloupe, of Martinique and Guyana, in the form of respective selections.
To understand the magnitude of the task at hand, the matches take place on a large field, 7 against 7, with the same rules in force as for rugby at 15, i.e. tackle authorized on the ball carrier, touch and scrum 3 against 3 disputed, and with a displacement kick.
The matches are played in 2 halves of 7 minutes with 5 possible substitutes.
Those who have practiced a collective sport on a large field will be able to be surprised at such free space with so few practitioners, but that's what awaited our 4 selected of the Guadeloupe committee, from the Archiball Rugby club of Saint-Martin.
Mostly trained at the club, our 4 Archiballs had the hard task and the pleasure of both confronting the best in the Caribbean.
This Guadeloupean selection gave all his strength during the 4 matches, but the selection of Martinique was too powerful, and too athletic.
Second place was rightly theirs, both the level was raised, and the shield remained in the arms of the Martinicans.
Evan and Sébastien, from rugby school, Maxence, a total novice 2 years ago, and more experienced Mathis, who arrived at
club a few years ago, with great modesty, understood that the work at providing is important both physically and technique and that next year they will be less surprised by the speed of play, and will come back, if the opportunity arises, with not the least experience.
Everyone says it, this new experience would not have been possible without the friends of the Archiball de Saint Martin: “without the team, we are nothing, after all. We were surprised by the announcement in the selection, we had to be up to it for the friends who stayed in Saint-Martin”.
Their coach likes to add that they deserved it so much they have struggled in recent lean years (note: Irma, Covid).
They believed in the project, believed in their strength, and know that nothing happens by chance. The work has borne fruit over the training sessions, also supported by the aid very valuable to seniors and their staff who have made them progress undeniably.
They were nourished by this experience, they have gained in maturity, and quickly adapted to the required strategy.
Congratulations to them, we are proud that they represented the colors of Archiball.
6,913 total views
No comments