North American Notes: Interview With Turks & Caicos Director Sean O'Neill

 

We were lucky enough to catch up with Turks & Caicos Islands Rugby Football Union Director Sean O'Neill to get his thoughts on rugby in the islands.

This Is American Rugby: The Turks & Caicos recently claimed the trophy at the NACRA U-19 Championships. How much of an accomplishment is that for the team and how much of an indicator is it of the growth of rugby on the islands?

Sean O'Neill: It’s a great accomplishment for the guys to go to Trinidad and come back with the Trophy. The team consisted of almost all locally born guys who learned to play on the beach and they have come a long way. Some of them are getting the opportunity to play overseas now and their talent continues to grow. I think we still have potential for a lot of growth. The people who are involved in the rugby community here are very passionate about the sport and are keen to see it succeed. We have to keep pushing ourselves if we want to improve and while we enjoy the victory in Trinidad we recognise that we have a lot of work to do to get to the level of the Cayman, Mexico, etc.

Take the jump to read more.
TIAR: Being such a small country population-wise has the increased emphasis on 7's made the country more competitive internationally?

SO: Sevens is very competitive around the region and with so many countries here eligible for the Commonwealth Games, CASCO Games, etc the regional tournaments take on even greater importance as qualifiers for those events. We want to ensure that the Sevens season, from September to November, gets its fair share of attention but we don’t lose focus on Fifteen a side rugby. It’s important to find balance, especially for props like me.

TIAR: With only so many teams competing on the islands what are some of the creative things clubs have done to get matches?

SO: We have our own league between four clubs that started last year and that has helped raise the bar. It allows our young players a chance to develop their skills. We work very hard to try and get a few touring sides down each year. Last year we hosted Jamaica in the NACRA 15s Championships and Quebec Provincial Champions St Anne de Bellevue. These tours allow us to have a bit of fun while they are down here (beach rugby and other social events) it definitely makes for a great week or long weekend. We try and tour once a year as well, we’re a fun bunch and it reminds you why you put in all the effort to make sure the local stuff sorts itself out.

TIAR: How popular would you say rugby is in the Turks & Caicos?

SO:  Rugby continues to grow. We have our own facility in the middle of Grace Bay (the tourist centre) which really helps. Our junior program has really come on over the past few years and women’s rugby started last year. A lot of people get involved in the social side of the Clubs and are drawn in from there.

TIAR: You've been drawn in with Canada, The Bahamas, and the Cayman Islands at the upcoming NACRA 7's. How big of a challenge is that going to be for your team? What are your goals for the tournament?

SO: It’s a tough group but I think if you get drawn against any of the top 8 in NACRA it’s going to look difficult. Our aim is to qualify for the CASCO games in Mexico in 2014 and for that we’ll need to at least finish in the top 2 in the group. We’ll need to make sure we keep our discipline and try and control possession. As a comparison we saw the Canadian women’s team the last time we were there and they were head and shoulders above the rest, the fact that they came second in the RWC shows their strength. In any event this is why you play, to challenge yourself. We have to get used to this level of play as the Northern Region that we play in for 15s has Mexico, The Bahamas and Jamaica as the three ‘weaker’ teams, along with Cayman, Bermuda and USA South. Nowhere to hide there.

TIAR: How do you go about recruiting new players?

SO: We work hard to maintain the juniors as they reach senior level and also through new people who move to the Islands or through crossover with other sports. Rugby looks complicated from the outside but whenever new players come in they pick it up pretty quickly. We also try and stay in contact with local players who are now living and playing rugby abroad.

TIAR: How can we follow the progress rugby in the islands?

SO: Our Facebook page, Twitter (@tcirugby) and www.rugby.tc