Youth 7s to launch rugby season

THE Trinidad and Tobago Rugby Union (TTRU) will launch its 2026 Rugby 7s season today with the inaugural CariCoast Youth 7s Tournament at the Queen’s Park Savannah, Port of Spain.

The tournament, scheduled to run from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., is expected to feature boys and girls from 12 club teams competing across four age categories, as the TTRU seeks to expand opportunities for young players and strengthen the sport’s development pathway.

The programme will include Under-14 Touch Rugby and Under-16, Under-18 and Under-21 contact rugby.

TTRU Development Committee chair Schezelle Fleming said the competition was designed to give young players a clear goal as they enter the sport.

“The goal is to create pathways for young people when they get into sports like rugby, for them to know that there are opportunities like the CariCoast Youth 7s they can look forward to,” Fleming said.

The tournament also seeks to address the limited number of dedicated youth Rugby 7s competitions in the Caribbean. In Trinidad and Tobago, the Men’s Under-19 15-a-side competition is currently the principal dedicated youth competition in that format.

Beyond the action on the field, the event will provide practical experience for newly qualified match officials, technical personnel and administrators who have completed TTRU development courses.

Today’s tournament will be the first of seven events on the domestic Rugby 7s calendar between October and December, culminating in the Harvard International 7s on December 5 and 6.

The schedule also includes the Silvo 7s in Gasparillo on October 17, the Royalians 7s at the Savannah on October 24, the Suki 7s on November 14 and the UWI Centenary 7s on November 21 and 22.

The region’s premier event, the Rugby Americas North (RAN) 7s Tournament, is scheduled for November 28 and 29 at the Hasely Crawford Stadium.