ago.20.2009
Jamaican rugby had double cause for celebration on 6 August, the country's independence day, when Rugby Union President Jacob Thompson was awarded the Badge of Honour for Long and Faithful Service, and valuable service to the youth of Jamaica through the game of Rugby.
While similar awards have been handed out to cricket, soccer and athletics administrators in the past, this is the first time that the sport of rugby has been recognised in this way in Jamaica.
"This has left me speechless, it is actually more than half my life that I've spent in and around rugby, over 40 years, and I accept this award on behalf of the rugby family of the world, and especially Jamaica," Thompson told Total Rugby Radio.
"That the government has recognised my work will only help to improve rugby here. It means a lot to me and to the rugby family in general here in Jamaica."
Considering its sporting competitors, rugby is bigger in Jamaica than many might imagine. Over 90 of the country's schools play rugby and there are almost 9,000 registered players in all, over 3,000 of which are women. There are already 21 clubs and there have also been local successes to build upon, notably the country's triumph at the 2007 Under 19 Caribbean Championship.
Ninety per cent of the rugby is currently played in Kingston, St Andrews and St Catherines, so there is a need to spread the game further throughout the population, but signs are already positive for the future.
With the help of the IRB, Thompson has installed a Rugby Development Officer in each of the three Jamaican counties - Cornwall, Middlesex and Surrey - in a bid to introduce rugby or rugby Sevens as a core sport in all 14 parishes across the island.
Thompson: Rugby is a Jamaican game
His proudest achievement has been helping Jamaican rugby evolve from a largely ex-pat sport to one which is now played among the indigenous population.
"Rugby used to be seen as an ex-pat sport here and it is not an ex-pat sport anymore, it is a Jamaican game," he said.
"When I am gone rugby will still be here because the locals are now playing rugby, it's part of the fabric of the Jamaican lifestyle, part of the Jamaican culture."
News of rugby Sevens' recommendation by the IOC Executive Board for inclusion in the 2016 Olympic Games has been of particular interest to Thompson, and many in the Caribbean.
Blessed with natural athletes possessing pace and running ability, the islands have naturally gravitated towards the abbreviated form of the game. Indeed, Thompson believes that Sevens holds the key to unlocking the area's vast rugby potential.
His hope is that one day the Usain Bolts and Asafa Powells of the region will be able to consider Sevens as a route to Olympic glory.
Olympic hope a massive boost
"When we look at some of the smaller nations like Fiji who can be World Champions in Sevens we don't see why Jamaica cannot be too, because we have a large number of people and our rugby population is big," he said.
"We are very quick and fast and as time has gone on we have taken up Sevens more, because Sevens is more the game for us.
"To see rugby back in the Olympics would be a massive boost for the sport in this region. Here in the Caribbean, track and field, basketball and cricket are sports that are all heavily promoted, especially from the states, where lots of athletes are lured away to.
"My hope for the future would be that one day the IRB can start to assist with some sort of scholarship, or find a way to give the best of the best sportsmen here the opportunity to go and study in Europe or wherever, and play rugby.
"Just like what is happening here and in the United States, where we have a lot of our top sportsmen and women go off on scholarships to those other sports."
Crucially, the most significant area of rugby growth under Thompson has been in the country's primary schools, and again he believes that the Sevens game has made a difference.
"We are getting more calls from schools to get involved in that part of the game, it's a very fast game and they enjoy more playing that side of the game than the fifteen-a-side game, because you have to be very strong and big, where Sevens is more about speed and skill."
NAWIRA becomes NACRA
At a Special Meeting of NAWIRA (North American & West Indies Rugby Association) member unions on 8 August 2009, members unanimously agreed to adopt the new Regional Constitution.
The new constitution brings a change of name for the governing body of rugby union in the region, North America and West Indies Rugby Association (NAWIRA) replaced by North America and Caribbean Rugby Association (NACRA).
Following the Special Meeting, Members elected a new five-man Executive Committee at NACRA's inaugural General Meeting. The new ExCo comprises Bob Latham (USA, President), Pearse Higgins (Canada, Vice President), Dennis Dwyer (Bermuda, Secretary), Miguel Carner (Mexico, Treasurer) and George Nicholson (Barbados, Committee Member). Pearse Higgins was also elected for a further four years as NACRA's IRB Council representative.
Source: www.irb.com
