The southern Districts have seemingly stormed ahead in setting up rugby football clubs in Belize, and the first four clubs have appointed organizers and are busy attracting players and volunteers through their social media campaigns.
The Belize Rugby Board (Rugby Belize) has organized the country into two ‘Districts’ for domestic competition purposes; North includes Corozal, Orange Walk and Belize, and South covers Cayo, Stann Creek and Toledo
Hattieville United Rugby Football Union (part of the Hattieville United Youth Sporting Club), organized by Haddan Garbutt, is the headquarters of Rugby Belize
Rugby Belize plans to have a rugby football union in every major town throughout the country by the end of 2015, with a national team for sevens in place in time to commence training for the first big international sevens competition in 2015 / 16.
Hattieville United’s Haddan Garbutt was the first to express an interest in setting up a Rugby Football club, but because football is the major participation sport for Hattieville youths, their rugby campaign has yet to get going. It will take centre stage in the coming weeks as the football season draws to a close.
Next came Belmopan Rugby Football Union, with Dan Goodman as Organizer who leapt ahead with a very informative facebook page laying down a challenge for the people of Cayo. Building on the physicality of the sport, Dan’s campaign is challenging the people of Cayo not to be left behind as the sport develops across Belize. The message being Cayo people need to be in the national team!
San Pedro RFU, under the guiding hand of Martin Dawson as Organizer, has attracted a lot of interest from the ex-pat community on Ambergris Caye, where a significant number of people having previously either played or been involved in rugby, now having their interest rekindled.
Orange Walk RFU demonstrates that rugby isn’t just a boy’s game when Jazmin Zetina was appointed local organizer. Jazmin is looking forward to getting the ball rolling around the fields of Orange Walk District.
Rugby Belize’s Global Ambassador, Belize’s only professional rugby player, Jono Woodward, is very happy with the progress made so far. “It’s great to see people taking this sport seriously in Belize. We have huge opportunity and great potential especially in sevens.”
Founder of Rugby Belize, Tony Gillings, says he hopes to have rugby clubs based in communities across the country, “We want to organize a domestic league as quickly as possible, with teams competing against each other from northern and southern districts. From these teams we will select players for national sevens and 15-man teams to compete internationally.”
Rugby Belize, under the auspices of the Belize Rugby Board, has already established links with rugby federations in Mexico, Guatemala, Costa Rica and further afield and plans are afoot to participate in international friendliness “as soon as we can” says Tony.
Rugby Belize is looking for players – men, women, girls and boys of all ages who would like to give it a go, no experienced necessary as we will have coaches on hand. Training events are planned throughout the country, and anybody interested should go to www.rugbybelize.com and make contact.”
Further inquiries / information:
Tony Gillings
Founder
Rugby Belize
T: +353 86 389 3865
E: tonygillings@hotmail.com
www.tonygillings.com
Haddan Garbutt
Hattieville United Youth Sports Club
T: 342 5790 / 623 4457
E: hattievilleunitedyouths@yahoo.com
www.rugbybelize.com
