As the Central American and Caribbean (CAC) Rugby Sevens Championships draw near, the Barbados Rugby Football Union (BRFU) is projecting a solid performance from its men’s national side, set to compete in the Dominican Republic starting July 24. Kathryn Daniel, the BRFU’s public relations officer, has voiced cautious optimism about the squad’s prospects, highlighting a rare mix of veteran experience and youthful energy that she believes will give the team an edge against regional opponents.
Daniel noted that the majority of the 12-member roster is made up of athletes who have competed at the regional level for multiple years, while still remaining in the peak physical window of their rugby careers. Only a small handful of rising talents, including young prospect Malique Broomes, break the trend of seasoned campaigners. She also pointed out unique team dynamics, with cousins Jaden Howell and Simon John both earning spots in the final traveling squad, while declining to reveal full strategic details that could give opponents an advantage. According to Daniel, the roster is packed with underrated talent and targeted skills that translate perfectly to the fast-paced sevens format.
She highlighted individual standout traits across the side, calling out winger Christopher Blades for his exceptional pace and agility on the pitch, and forward Jeremy Nelson for his elite level of fitness that allows him to maintain high intensity through full matches. A key asset Daniel emphasized is the team’s long-standing chemistry: most core players have competed alongside one another for several years, creating an on-field cohesion that many newer squads cannot match.
Confidence in the team’s performance comes off the back of recent impressive results in the 15-a-side format of the game, which Daniel hopes will translate to the shorter, faster sevens format. Just a few weeks prior, the Barbados 15s side dominated St. Vincent by a lopsided 68-0 scoreline. They followed that upset with a win over Guyana’s renowned “Green Machine” side – only the second time Barbados has beaten Guyana in more than a decade. Daniel credited these positive results to the squad’s intensive off-season training program, which has focused on raising the technical and physical standard of play across the board.
Admittedly, the team suffered a recent loss to higher-ranked Cayman Islands in a warm-up fixture, but Daniel stressed that the underdog Bajan side put up a far more competitive fight than many analysts expected. That solid showing against a higher-caliber opponent, she argued, is proof that the team is already performing at a level that can surprise favorites at the CAC Championships. The full traveling roster for the tournament includes: Christopher Blades, Malique Broomes, Rajiv Grant, Jaden Howell, Simon John, Cadeem Knight, Daniel Martyn, Jeremy Nelson, Enrique Oxley, Noah Paskins, D’Andre Phillips and Sean Ward.