Rugby union in Trinidad and Tobago
Encyclopedia
Rugby union
in Trinidad and Tobago
is a popular sport. There are currently 4,457 registered players, and 13 clubs. They are currently ranked 46th.
being played in Trinidad and Tobago
dates to the expatriate community in 1922.
The game remained confined to this community until the late 1960s when an emphasis on schools development began. This period declined by the end of the 1970s and was not renewed until 1990 in 12 schools.
Trinidad and Tobago has 13 clubs including the teams of the police and the Army.
Trinidad and Tobago participated in the Qualifying Round of the 1997 Rugby World Cup Sevens
. They went on to host and win the first ever Caribbean Zone Rugby World Cup Sevens qualifying tournament in January 2000 at the Hasely Crawford Stadium
. In XV aside, the participated in qualifying for the 1999
, 2003
, 2007
and 2011 Rugby World Cup
finals. They failed to qualify on each occasion.
Trinidad and Tobago participated in the inaugural Rugby Sevens at the 1998 Commonwealth Games
held in Kuala Lumpur
, Malaysia.
Trinidad and Tobago competes in the Caribbean Championship, a tournament which includes Bermuda
, Martinique
, the Cayman Islands
, Jamaica
, the Bahamas
, British Virgin Islands
, Antigua
and Guyana
. Trinidad and Tobago has entered every Caribbean Rugby Championship since inception in 1966 and have won in 1967, 1973, 1983, 1985 and 1997 and the inaugural south Caribbean Rugby Championship in 1999.
Trinidad and Tobago are one of the founding members of the Caribbean Rugby Football Union, which was formed in 1975 and is now called the West Indies Rugby Union. The Caribbean nation hosts the Caribbean Sevens annually on the first weekend in December.
Rugby union
Rugby union, often simply referred to as rugby, is a full contact team sport which originated in England in the early 19th century. One of the two codes of rugby football, it is based on running with the ball in hand...
in Trinidad and Tobago
Trinidad and Tobago
Trinidad and Tobago officially the Republic of Trinidad and Tobago is an archipelagic state in the southern Caribbean, lying just off the coast of northeastern Venezuela and south of Grenada in the Lesser Antilles...
is a popular sport. There are currently 4,457 registered players, and 13 clubs. They are currently ranked 46th.
History
The first record of rugby unionRugby union
Rugby union, often simply referred to as rugby, is a full contact team sport which originated in England in the early 19th century. One of the two codes of rugby football, it is based on running with the ball in hand...
being played in Trinidad and Tobago
Trinidad and Tobago
Trinidad and Tobago officially the Republic of Trinidad and Tobago is an archipelagic state in the southern Caribbean, lying just off the coast of northeastern Venezuela and south of Grenada in the Lesser Antilles...
dates to the expatriate community in 1922.
The game remained confined to this community until the late 1960s when an emphasis on schools development began. This period declined by the end of the 1970s and was not renewed until 1990 in 12 schools.
Trinidad and Tobago has 13 clubs including the teams of the police and the Army.
Trinidad and Tobago participated in the Qualifying Round of the 1997 Rugby World Cup Sevens
1997 Rugby World Cup Sevens
The 1997 Rugby World Cup Sevens was the second edition of the tournament and held in Hong Kong. Fiji defeated South Africa 24-21 to take the title for the first time. The match is still considered one of the best Sevens matches of all time...
. They went on to host and win the first ever Caribbean Zone Rugby World Cup Sevens qualifying tournament in January 2000 at the Hasely Crawford Stadium
Hasely Crawford Stadium
The Hasely Crawford Stadium, located in Port of Spain, Trinidad and Tobago, is named after Hasely Crawford, the first person from Trinidad and Tobago to win an Olympic gold medal. Originally built as the National Stadium in 1980, the stadium was re-named to honour Crawford in 2001. The stadium...
. In XV aside, the participated in qualifying for the 1999
1999 Rugby World Cup
The 1999 Rugby World Cup was the fourth Rugby World Cup, and the first to be held in rugby union's professional era. The principal host nation was Wales, although the majority of matches were played outside the country, shared between England, France, Scotland and Ireland...
, 2003
2003 Rugby World Cup
The 2003 Rugby World Cup was the fifth Rugby World Cup and was won by England. Originally planned to be co-hosted by Australia and New Zealand, all games were shifted to Australia following a contractual dispute over ground signage rights between the New Zealand Rugby Football Union and Rugby World...
, 2007
2007 Rugby World Cup
The 2007 Rugby World Cup was the sixth Rugby World Cup, a quadrennial international rugby union competition inaugurated in 1987. Twenty nations competed for the Webb Ellis Cup in the tournament, which was hosted by France from 7 September to 20 October. France won the hosting rights in 2003,...
and 2011 Rugby World Cup
2011 Rugby World Cup
The 2011 Rugby World Cup was the seventh Rugby World Cup, a quadrennial international rugby union competition inaugurated in 1987. The International Rugby Board selected New Zealand as the host country in preference to Japan and South Africa at a meeting in Dublin on 17 November 2005...
finals. They failed to qualify on each occasion.
Trinidad and Tobago participated in the inaugural Rugby Sevens at the 1998 Commonwealth Games
1998 Commonwealth Games
The 1998 XVI Commonwealth Games were held in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia from 11 September to 21 September 1998 making it the first Asian country to act as host and the last Commonwealth Games for the 20th century. A record 70 nations supplied 3638 athletes...
held in Kuala Lumpur
Kuala Lumpur
Kuala Lumpur is the capital and the second largest city in Malaysia by population. The city proper, making up an area of , has a population of 1.4 million as of 2010. Greater Kuala Lumpur, also known as the Klang Valley, is an urban agglomeration of 7.2 million...
, Malaysia.
Trinidad and Tobago competes in the Caribbean Championship, a tournament which includes Bermuda
Bermuda national rugby union team
The Bermuda national rugby union team represents Bermuda in the sport of rugby union. Bermuda have thus far not played in a Rugby World Cup, but have participated in qualifying tournaments.-History:...
, Martinique
Martinique national rugby union team
The Martinique national rugby union team represents Martinique at the sport of rugby. Martinique has been playing international rugby since 1991 but has never qualified for a Rugby World Cup....
, the Cayman Islands
Cayman Islands national rugby union team
The Cayman Islands national rugby union team represents the Cayman Islands in the sport of rugby union. They have thus far not qualified for a Rugby World Cup, but have participated in qualifying tournaments...
, Jamaica
Jamaica national rugby union team
The Jamaica national rugby union team represents Jamaica in the sport of rugby union. The team have thus far not qualified for a Rugby World Cup, but have participated in qualifying tournaments...
, the Bahamas
Bahamas national rugby union team
The Bahamas national rugby union team represent the Bahamas in the sport of rugby union. The team have thus far not qualified for a Rugby World Cup, but have participated in qualifying tournament. The nation is classified as tier three by the International Rugby Board .-History:The Bahamas made...
, British Virgin Islands
British Virgin Islands national rugby union team
The British Virgin Islands national rugby union team represents the British Virgin Islands in international rugby union. The nation are a member of the International Rugby Board and have yet to play in a Rugby World Cup tournament...
, Antigua
Antigua and Barbuda national rugby union team
The Antigua and Barbuda national rugby union team represents Antigua and Barbuda in the sport of rugby union. They have thus far not qualified for a Rugby World Cup, and have not participated in qualifying tournaments....
and Guyana
Guyana national rugby union team
The Guyana national rugby union team represents Guyana in the sport of rugby union. They have thus far not qualified for a Rugby World Cup, but have participated in qualifying tournaments.-History:...
. Trinidad and Tobago has entered every Caribbean Rugby Championship since inception in 1966 and have won in 1967, 1973, 1983, 1985 and 1997 and the inaugural south Caribbean Rugby Championship in 1999.
Trinidad and Tobago are one of the founding members of the Caribbean Rugby Football Union, which was formed in 1975 and is now called the West Indies Rugby Union. The Caribbean nation hosts the Caribbean Sevens annually on the first weekend in December.
See also
- Trinidad and Tobago national rugby union teamTrinidad and Tobago national rugby union teamThe Trinidad and Tobago national rugby union team represents Trinidad and Tobago in the sport of rugby union. Trinidad and Tobago have thus far not qualified for the Rugby World Cup finals, but have participated in qualifying tournaments since 1999...
- Trinidad and Tobago Rugby Football UnionTrinidad and Tobago Rugby Football UnionThe Trinidad and Tobago Rugby Football Union is the governing body for rugby union in Trinidad and Tobago. It was founded in 1928 and became affiliated to the International Rugby Board in 1992...
- Trinidad and Tobago national rugby union team (sevens)Trinidad and Tobago national rugby union team (sevens)The Trinidad and Tobago national rugby union sevens is a minor national sevens side. It has competed at the Commonwealth Sevens-See also:* Trinidad and Tobago national rugby union team* Rugby union in Trinidad and Tobago...
- Trinidad and Tobago women's national rugby union teamTrinidad and Tobago women's national rugby union teamThe Trinidad and Tobago women's national rugby union team are a national sporting side of Trinidad and Tobago, representing them at rugby union. The side first played in 2003. The team has several changes over the past few years...
External links
- IRB T&T page
- Trinidad and Tobago Rugby Football Union official site
- NAWIRA T&T page
- CaribsRFC Website of the Caribs Rugby Football Club in Trinidad Archives du Rugby: Trinidad et Tobago