SVG Rugby Union pursues development pathway

The St Vincent and the Grenadines Rugby Union is pursuing Development of a National Sports Structure(DNSS).

Funded by Olympic Solidarity through the St Vincent and the Grenadines Olympic Committee, Trinidadian, Wayne Pantor is the main resource person who is helping to set the framework for the DNSS.

Pantor is a well-rounded individual in the sport, who has served in various capacities here in St Vincent and the Grenadines (SVG), mapping out the process.

He outlined to SEARCHLIGHT, the aim of the DNSS.

“ The overall aim…is to create a pathway, a micro and a macro programme towards the 2028

Olympic Qualifiers. Also, my task is to prepare structures and training, evaluating and selecting players to go into both formats of the sport- that is 7’s and 15’s.”

Apart from the actual sport, Pantor will be advising the Union, administratively, “whereby I will be looking to put in place that structure for proper protocols that will result in the development of teams”.

Meanwhile, President of the SVG Rugby Union, Dellon Durrant, expressed delight in having the DNSS at this time.

“ The DNSS comes in line with our main goal, which is develop our teams, especially with our youths, developing our coaches, so this will just build on the foundation that has already started”, Durrant informed.

He said having Pantor is the right choice, as he is “Caribbean, therefore has an understanding of the culture and limitations of small countries like St Vincent and the Grenadines”.

Pantor, who has worked in other Caribbean countries, namely- his native Trinidad and Tobago,

Jamaica and St Lucia, is expected to complete his mission by November this year.

Explaining his stint, Pantor said, “ I will be on the ground sometimes getting first hand, working with the schools, the teams, the youth programme and the female programme, and I will be at times working remotely”.

Pantor said hopefully, the groundwork will be laid through the DNSS, that will make Rugby in SVG at least “more competitive”, with some of its Caribbean neighbours.