Jamaica has called up a 20-man squad to prepare for their international clash with world number 17 Wales, at the The Lextan Gnoll in Neath, on Tuesday, October 15 (kick-off 7.30pm).

Most players called up play in English competitions, the lone exception, Alex Young, is currently signed to the Sydney Roosters in Australia. Included are veterans such as Ben Jones-Bishop, James Woodburn Hall, Mo Agoro, Jordan Andrade, Keenen Tomlinson, and Ross Peltier. However, there are also plenty new faces with possible debutants coming from Darius Carter, Delaine Gittens-Bedwards, Jaden Dayes, Leo Skerritt-Evans, Aaron Smalls, Keenan Ramsden and Joshua Hudson-Lett.

Injury has forced the withdrawal of inspirational captain Ashton Golding (Huddersfield), Jerome Yates (West Warriors) and Greg Johnson (Moldgreen), whilst Michael Lawrence (Bradford) and AJ Wallace (Huddersfield) are unavailable due to club duties. Resulting, former captains Joe Brown and Jy-Mel Coleman, both instrumental in Jamaica’s qualification to the 2021 World Cup, have made themselves available if required, with Coleman doubling as an assistant coach.

Jamaica will be coached by Rhys Lovegrove, who is Academy Head Coach at Super League club Hull KR. He commented, “I’m really honoured and privileged to be part of the coaching set and excited to see some new faces pull on the jersey to face Wales”.

Director of Rugby and Head of Jamaica’s men’s programme Romeo Monteith added, “As an organisation we are happy to face Wales at their home. They are a good team with a proud history in rugby league. Jamaica remains committed to playing at least one international in Europe annually and we hope to collaborate more often with Wales in the future. The game helps them prepare for their European World Cup qualifiers, and it helps us in our preparation for the World Series in 2025 as it’s vital our professional players get a chance to play together as often as possible.”

The Reggae Warriors played their last men’s international against the USA on December 3, 2024, going down 26-30. After Wales, Jamaica faces Canada in Toronto on October 19.

JAMAICA SQUAD:
Delaine Gittens-Bedward (Barrow Raiders), Joshua Hudson-Lett (Bedford Tigers), Leo Skerrett-Evans (Castleford Tigers), Aaron Small (Cornwall), Keenen Tomlinson (Featherstone Rovers), James Woodburn-Hall (Halifax), Darius Carter, Kieran Rush (Huddersfield Giants), Chris Ball (London Broncos), Alex Brown (Moldgreen ARLFC), Mo Agoro (Oldham), Jaden Dayes, Jordan Andrade (Rochdale), Ben Jones-Bishop (Sheffield), Keenan Ramsden (Siddal), Alex Young (Sydney Roosters), Isaac Coleman (York Acorn), Joe Brown, Jy-Mel Coleman, Ross Peltier (Unattached)

The Duhaney Park Red Sharks have solidified their status as a rugby league powerhouse, clinching their 10th National Club Championship (NCC) title in Jamaica with a dramatic 17-16 victory over the Jamaica Defence Force (JDF) Warriors. This victory at the UWI Mona Bowl also marks the Red Sharks' eighth consecutive Grand Finals win, underscoring their dominance in Jamaican rugby league.

 The match was a rollercoaster from start to finish. JDF made an explosive start, taking a 9-0 lead within the first 15 minutes thanks to winger Shezorye Thompson, who scored a try and two goals, complemented by a drop goal from center Demar Williams. Duhaney Park responded in the 20th minute when loose forward Owen Linton crossed the try line, though Ryan Grant's missed conversion left the Red Sharks trailing 4-9 at halftime.

 The second half saw JDF further extend their lead to 15-4 through a brilliant try by Jowayne Forbes, who made a break from his own half, evading six defenders to score in the right corner. This play was considered the try of the game, putting immense pressure on the Red Sharks. However, Duhaney Park gradually clawed their way back into contention. Prop Khamisi McKain scored a try under the posts, and Grant converted to reduce the deficit to 10-15.

 In the 64th minute, back-rower Jenson Morris closed the gap even further, scoring an unconverted try in the left corner to make it 14-15. JDF then managed a drop goal from Thompson, nudging their lead to 16-14. However, Duhaney Park kept their composure, with Grant slotting a crucial penalty eight minutes from time to level the scores at 16-16.

 The game seemed destined for extra time until veteran scrum-half Chevaughn Bailey stepped up in the 78th minute, sealing the win with a perfectly executed drop goal from 30 meters out. The late score sent Duhaney Park fans into ecstatic celebrations, as the team secured a hard-fought victory.

 Duhaney Park's head coach Roy Calvert praised the JDF for their performance, describing the final as the toughest game in recent seasons. “This final is probably the hardest game we have had in two to three seasons. Kudos to the Army for a great fight. I am proud of my boys, especially our youngsters, who really stood up. It’s our 20th year as a club, and getting the win means a lot to us,” Calvert said.

 JDF’s coach Sergeant Kemar Catwell commended his team’s resilience against the defending champions. “My team showed a lot of character against a very good Red Sharks team. We had our chances, and if we had taken them, it might have been a different outcome. Hats off to Duhaney Park; champions find a way to win, but JDF will be back stronger,” Catwell remarked.

 In the third-place playoff, the Washington Bulls edged out the St. Catherine Thundercats 3-2 on kicks after regular time ended with both teams tied at 10-10.

Scorers

Duhaney Park Red Sharks: Tries by Owen Linton, Khamisi McKain, and Jenson Morris; goals by Ryan Grant (2); drop goal by Chevaughn Bailey.

JDF Warriors: Tries by Shezwayne Thompson and Jowayne Forbes; goals by Shezwayne Thompson (3); drop goal by Demar Williams.

As two of the founding clubs of rugby league in Jamaica celebrate their 20th anniversary, this thrilling match serves as a testament to the fierce rivalry and competitive spirit that defines the sport on the island.

Rugby League Jamaica concluded its U14 and U16 High School 13-a-side Championships on Friday, April 26, at Campion College. In U14 action, five-time defending champions Calabar High faced off against BB Coke High, whilst in U16, Calabar battled last year’s beaten finalist, Cedar Grove Academy, for top honours.

In the U14s, Calabar overcame a spirited BB Coke outfit 8-4, to grab their sixth consecutive hold on the trophy.  Jahir Brown scored both tries for the winners, whilst Tyrell Scott got the consolidation try for BB Coke.

Cedar Grove then won their maiden U16 title with a clinical defensive display, holding off Calabar 14-2. Elvis Simms led the victors with eight points from two tries with support from Steven Constantine with a try while Nathan Brown kicked a goal for two points.  Derone Plummer kicked a goal to give Calabar their only points.

Commenting on his team’s performance in both finals, Oshane Edie, head coach of Calabar said, “Our U14s are a new young group who just started playing, it’s a great result to get the win and bodes well for the future. Throughout the season Devontae Molar and Amore Anderson were good for us, their exceptional play along with their teammates gave us the victory. As for our U16s, they had a good season, but I think we were a bit overconfident in the finals and paid the price. Overall, the rugby league programme at Calabar remains strong and is looking good for the future.”

Cedar Grove’s winning coach Antonio Baker attributed victory to hard work stating, “Winning the U16 crown is a culmination of years of work that has finally paid off. We’ve been close on several occasions before, including past year, when we were beaten finalists, but this season our focus was spot on, and we are happy for the school.”

In other action on the day, Kingston College snatched 3rd place over Campion College 6-4. Armani Burnette with the try for the winners and Donnoy Harris kicking a goal. Meanwhile, Josah Bennett bagged Campion’s lone try.

In Girls action, BB Coke won the final 9-a-side tournament of the school year, Grove Academy 16-8 and 16-4 in a best of three clash.

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Jamaica Hurricanes Academy U19s will square off against touring Wigan-Leigh College from England in a groundbreaking rugby league test match at the UWI Mona Bowl on Saturday, February 24. This marks the first time Hurricanes will field an U19 team against international opponents in the 13-a-side version of the game. Kick-off is scheduled for 3:30 pm.

 The Wigan-Leigh College team, currently on a development tour to Jamaica, are from the North of England and linked to English professional club Leigh Leopards, competing in the Super League. During their stay, they have conducted coaching and match official seminars with local personnel and hosted coaching clinics at The Cedar Grove Academy and Campion College. They are the fourth international team to tour the island within the past six months.

 The Hurricanes have already gained a significant milestone from the tour, securing a 12-8 victory over the visitors in the U19 Academy Finals at the New Year 9s on February 17. The historic win marked the first time a domestic Jamaica team earned a win against a team from England in any format of the game. The Hurricanes are comprised of Jamaica’s top High School and Club U19 players, the Academy is an integral part of the domestic development for elite players.

 Looking towards the game, Antonio Baker, Hurricanes Academy Coach, said, “Rugby League Jamaica has dedicated considerable effort to developing rugby league at the grassroots level. The Test will offer a valuable opportunity to assess our progress, facing top-tier opposition from England. I am confident the team will give their best effort, as they all aspire to represent their country admirably.”

 Kieron Purtill, Coach of Wigan-Leigh College, expressed gratitude for the warm hospitality extended by the Jamaican rugby league community, remarking, “The reception we've received in Jamaica from the rugby league community has been outstanding since the day we arrived. Participating in the Nines tournament was a fantastic experience for our team, showcasing a very high standard and significant participation. We eagerly anticipate our test match this Saturday as we prepare to take on a swift and robust Jamaican teamAnt. Rugby league emerges as the ultimate victor, and our partnership between Leigh Leopards, Wigan-Leigh College, in conjunction with Rugby League Jamaica, has provided a once-in-a-lifetime experience for all the young players involved. We hope this tour paves the way for other teams to visit and partake in what we've experienced, further aiding the development of rugby league in Jamaica.”

The 14th season of the Intercollegiate Rugby League kicked off on Saturday with five of the six registered institutions for the 9-a-side Championship participating. Present were the University of the West Indies Pelicans, University of Technology Knights, Mico University College Crocs, Excelsior Community College Eagles, and Caribbean Maritime University Spartans.

Debutants Browns Town Community College were unable to participate due to logistical challenges that arose late. For the second consecutive year, there will not be a 13-a-side Championship as institutions continue to rebuild their sports programs post-COVID.

The competition format involves institutions playing each other once in a round-robin format before the top four teams face off in semi-final matches to determine the finalists. The Eagles are defending champions. Saturday’s matches were hosted by MICO, marking a historic first for the prestigious university. The competition will culminate on Saturday, March 9, at the Mona Bowl.

In the matches played, Eagles and Pelicans secured identical 12-4 wins over Spartans and Knights, respectively. In the third match, Spartans overcame Crocs with a score of 20-4. Following that, Eagles prevailed over Pelicans with a score of 16-4, and Knights claimed a 12-0 victory over Crocs. The day concluded with an 8-all draw between Pelicans and Spartans. The teams will compete in their remaining round-robin games on March 9.

INTERCOL Rugby League Chair Romeo Monteith remarked, “Rugby league continues its strong revival post-COVID. Last year, only UWI, EXED, and CMU participated. Now, we have six teams, with both UTECH and MICO restarting their programs and Browns Town joining the competition. This is great news for the competition and for the national team, as INTERCOL athletes traditionally contributes around half of the team's makeup."

 Jamaica host USA in a men’s senior international tomorrow (Saturday) at the University of West Indies’ Mona Bowl in Kingston (kick off at 3pm, local time).

The match, for world ranking points, will be the Reggae Warriors’ first since their appearance in the World Cup a year ago - and only third international at home in 18 years – and will be the ninth encounter between the nations.

The Hawks lead 6-2, although Jamaica have won the last two encounters. The hosts are set to hand debuts to Daniel Graham, Tahjay Lynch, Hakeem Richards, Kahil Green, Oshane Edie and Kamarine Williams but are without Khamisi McKain who played in the World Cup but is recovering from a broken leg.

Jamaica men’s Lead coach, Roy Calvert, commented: “We are looking forward to this game as the Hawks have always been good competition for us. It’s important for nations in the Americas to provide opportunities for our domestic players to test themselves at a high level.

“Both countries are looking to debut several newcomers and that makes the game even more interesting. Jamaica’s squad has some exciting young players as strategically we are looking to build on the next generation to propel us over the next 10 years. The great thing is they get to play with legends like Thompson and Bailey who have been around for that long.”

The USA men’s team have had a four-year absence from the international scene, with their last encounter being a 38-16 loss to Cook Islands in the RLWC2021 repechage game, and the Hawks will field a new-look side selected from seven clubs.

“I’m really happy to have the men’s Hawks playing again,” noted USA head coach Sean Rutgerson. “It has been too long between games. We are looking forward to being in Jamaica with eight new guys aiming to gain their first cap.”

JAMAICA SQUAD

Akeem Murray, Andrew Simpson, Chevaughn Bailey, Daniel Graham, Jade Harrison, Kenneth Walker, Kevin Thomas, Kile Nembhard, Marvin Thompson, Owen Linton, Ryan Grant (Duhaney Park Red Sharks), Adrian Hall, (Liguanea Dragons), Tahjay Lynch, (St Catherine OB Thundercats), Hakeem Richards, Kahil Green, Oshane Edie, Reinhardo Richards (Washington Blvd Bulls), Kamarine Williams, Omar Jones (West Kingston Hyenas)

USA SQUAD

Sean Hunt (Atlanta Rhinos) Tevita Bryce, Kyle Granby (Brooklyn Kings) Urban Iyo, Peter Lupton (Boston 13s) Ethan Ferrick (DC Cavalry) Ryan Bannerot, Jason Martin, Mason McCrory, David Washington, Malcom Webb, James Williams (Jacksonville Axemen) Wes Piggins (Southwest Florida Copperheads) Joe Eichner, Matt Finnesy, Gunnar Johnson, Bart Longchamp (Tampa Mayhem)  

 The 2023 National Club Championship Grand Finals (NCC) will contested between Duhaney Park Red Sharks and Washington Boulevard Bulls after both registered wins over Liguanea Dragons and West Kingston Hyenas, respectively, in semi-final action on Saturday at the UWI Mona Bowl.

The showdown set for Sunday, September 31 at the University of the West Indies' Mona Bowl, will be a repeat of the 2022 Finals.

The Red Sharks will be making their seventh consecutive finals appearance and 15^th overall in 17 seasons of the Jamaica Rugby League. This will be the Bulls’ second appearance in the finals.

In the first semi-final on Saturday, the Oshane-Eddie-coached Bulls battled their way to hard-fought 43-32 a win over West Kingston Hyenas.  Bulls came out firing on all cylinders, racing to a 26-6 lead at half time. However, the Hyenas came roaring back in the final 40 minutes and almost pulled off the upset with the Bulls forced to hold on for the final five minutes.

“I’m really pleased with the effort of the players and staff make it to our second Grand Finals, and I must commend the Hyenas for a well-played game, they finished really strong,” Eddie said following the bruising encounter.

Bulls scorers: Tries: Howayne Mattis (2), Ronaldeni Fraser (2), Oshane Edie, Hakeem Richards, Shaneal Brown, Chevaun Smith. Goals: Shamoy Stewart (4), Edie. Drop Goal: Edie

Hyenas: Andrew Hylton (2), Neville Lynch, Raul Thomas, Omar Jones, Kamarine Williams. Goals: Damar McKoy, Hylton (2)

In the second semi-final, Duhaney Park overwhelmed Dragons 56-4.

The defending champions seemingly scored at will while consistently snuffing out scoring opportunities for their opponents, especially in the first 20 minutes. By half-time, the defending champs were in full ascendancy having built a 26-6 lead.

Red Sharks center Ryan Grant led all scorers with 22 points.

“I must praise the team's defensive resolve,” said Head Coach Roy Calvert following the lopsided affair. “The Dragons threw a lot at us early, especially around the ruck area. We were on the ropes for a bit in the early exchanges, but the boys hung in there and kept turning up for each other. To be able to limit them to one try is awesome and I am proud.”

Red Sharks scorers: Tries: Ryan Grant (2), Kenneth Walker (2), Akeem Murray, Javion Bryan, Tahjai Maitland, Chevaugn Bailey. Goals: Grant (7), Bryan

Dragons: Tries: Adrian Hall. Goal: Michael Pearson

The Red Sharks beat the Bulls twice in the round-robin stages of the competition and are firm favourites to win yet another title.

Duhaney Park Firestorms defeated Washingston Boulevard Bulls 33-22 to claim the Jamaica Rugby League Division II crown on Saturday, January 28 at the UWI Mona bowl.

Six players - Kenneth Walker, Chevaughn Carter, Adrian Thomas, Owen Linton, Akeem Murray, and Jenson Morris scored tries for the champions.

Javian Bryan kicked three goals and Joseph Shae added another, while Chevaughn Bailey also contributed with a drop goal.

The Bulls, early leaders in the contest, scored four tries via Anthoney Findlay, Karllone Batten, and Julius Reid.

 Lawrence Drummond added another plus kicked a conversion while Oshane Eddie closed out their account with four points from two goals.

In the playoff for third place, the West Kington Hyenas narrowly defeated the CMU Spartans 24-18.

JRLA Director of Rugby Romeo Monteith said expressed relief and delight that the competition was able to resume following a two-year pandemic enforced hiatus.

“We weren’t sure how the teams would react to the competition’s relaunch, but it has been brilliant,” he said.

“We have lots of players new to the game involved, playing alongside veterans willing to show them the way. The season was extremely competitive, and we had a few upsets along the way that made it very interesting. It’s a good platform senior men’s rugby league to build on for 2023.”

Head coach of Jamaica Rugby League World Cup team Romeo Monteith said he is “good” with how the team performed at the World Cup in Birmingham, England notwithstanding the Reggae Warriors’ three lop-sided losses in the competition.

Playing in their very first Rugby League World Cup, Jamaica were beaten 48-2 by Ireland on October 16 and 68-6 by New Zealand on October 22. They concluded their maiden world cup appearance with a 74-12 drubbing at the hands of Lebanon.

Monteith, however, remains optimistic about the team’s progress and believes the team will continue to get better as it begins preparations for the next qualification process in November 2023.

Overall I’m good with the team’s performance,” he told Sportsmax.TV.

“As a coaching staff, we spoke to the players about effort and I think in each game there was plenty effort from us as a collective. Of course, the results didn’t go our way and we wanted to put more points on the board and get a win or two.”

The reality, Monteith explained, is that Jamaica’s Rugby League development is still in its infancy and it will take time and resources to bridge the gap between the Reggae Warriors and the best teams in the world.

“At the end of the day, our squad had two full-time players and the other three teams had either all full timers or at least half as full time,” he said.

“It’s extremely difficult to bridge that gap; over 80 minutes the difference in conditioning will show. What we can control is our effort, output when faced with such quality and that’s what we will continue to work on as we can control that. For the next qualification journey, I think we have enough experience and know how to put ourselves in a good position to qualify.”

He said Jamaica Rugby League will do a review of the campaign, identify areas to strengthen and implement whatever change is needed as the Reggae Warriors head into 2023.

Defending champions Duhaney Park Red Sharks face Washington Boulevard Bulls, the latter in their first decider in the Jamaica Rugby League National Club Championship Grand Final on Saturday, September 17 at the University of West Indies Mona Bowl (kick-off 4 pm, local time). 

The Bulls, who joined the NCC in 2017, beat Jamaica Defence Force Warriors 24-18 in their semi-final, whilst the Red Sharks qualified for their sixth straight championship tie - and 14th in the last 16 years – by beating West Kingston Hyenas, 54-6.

 The Warriors and Hyenas meet as part of a Grand Final double-header to contest third place (kick-off 2 pm, local time), both games will be played at the UWI Mona Bowl.

Bulls Head Coach Derone Davis said of reaching the final: “Our first half was poor but we got it together in the second 40. Our forwards are usually our strength and gave us momentum but our back line stood up, especially defensively. Overall, I am proud of the team. For the finals, we hope we can put together a more complete performance as we will have to be at our best to challenge the champions.”

Adrian Brown with two tries and two goals led the way for Duhaney in their triumph.

“The semis was about getting our combinations right as we are still looking for the perfect game,” said Head Coach Roy Calvert. “The finals will be exciting, we are going for victory and are confident of achieving it but know we need to play a certain way to win. Bulls are a good team and have been on our heels all season.”

The Jamaica Rugby League Association is set to officially restart national training for domestic players, after getting the green light from the Office of Disaster Preparedness and Emergency Management (ODPEM).

The permission is timely as the Reggae Warriors are set to participate in the Rugby League World Cup in England at the end of 2022, and its domestic contingent has gone over 18 months without matches.

Plans are in place to have the maximum 50 male and a similar number of female players chosen, with two representative squads for each to then be selected under the Parish of Residence (POR) banner.

Team Red will feature players mostly residing or playing for clubs, colleges and universities in Kingston and St. Andrew whilst Team Blue will be made up of players mostly living in or playing for clubs, colleges, or universities in St. Catherine and other parishes.

Strict ODPEM Covid-19 protocols will be followed at all sessions and games. A total of five matches are expected to be staged from April to September, Covid conditions permitting. All players and officials must be vaccinated or undergo testing before each session.

“We would like to thank both ODPEM and the Ministry of Sport for the hard work being done to give National Governing Bodies the green light to return to some activity. Massive credit goes to our vice-chairman Adrian Hall who spearheaded our bid to return to train, it’s been an agonizing wait,” said JRLA Director of Rugby Romeo Monteith.

“Our rugby league community has been devastated by the long absence from playing and at least now our national players can officially resume preparation for the World Cup and other international events we are planning for the year. We continue to ask our wider members to be patient and exercise good judgement as we await further improvements in the health situation and a return to community and school rugby league.”