Jamaica v USA June 22 Match Thread

[adamkungl]

Another game coming up this weekend that has slipped under the radar!

http://rlif.com/article/8595/jamaica-to-host-usa-hawks-in-kingston-in-june

JAMAICA vs USA
UWI Mona Bowl Football Field (Jamaica)

Local: Sat, Jun 22 2019 at 2:30PM EST
USA East Coast: Sat, Jun 22 2019 at 3:30PM EDT
UK: Sat, Jun 22 2019 at 8:30PM BST
NZ: Sun, Jun 23 2019 at 7:30AM NZST
Australia East Coast: Sun, Jun 23 2019 at 5:30AM AEST

Streams and squads!

http://rlif.com/article/8651/livestream-world-cup-qualifier---south-africa-v-cook-islands

http://rlif.com/article/8653/squads-announced-for-jamaica-v-usa

JAMAICA 20 MAN SQUAD:

Chawn Henry, Kevin Thomas (Caribbean Maritime University), Antonio Baker (Cedar Grove Cyclones), Andrew Simpson, Fabion Turner, Jermaine Pinnock, Kenneth Walker, Khamisi Mckain, Marvin Thompson, Ryan Grant (Duhaney Park Red Sharks), Adrian Brown, Chevaughn Bailey, Steve Miller (GC Foster College Lions) Roland Grey (Jamaica Defene Force) Akeem Murray, Romario Bartley (Liguanea Dragons and University of the West Indies) Jenson Morris, Kile Nembhard (University Of Technology), Lawrence Drummond, Mohenjo Thompson (Washington Blvd. Bulls)



USA 17-MAN SQUAD

Sean Hunt, Nick Newlin (Atlanta Rhinos), Brandon Anderson, Alex Foster, Randy Porter, Jamil Robinson, Dane Wilcoxen, Sterling Wynn (Brooklyn Kings), Khalil Harris, Josh Jackson, Charlie Jones, Jon Purnell, Kevin Wathen (Jacksonville Axemen), Kyle Denham, Tristan Sylk (Philadelphia Fight), Cody Blackwell, Bart Longchamp (Tampa Mayhem)

 

[Burns]

This is essentially a rematch of the RLWC qualifier right?

Is it the same teams?

 

[Pommy]

This is essentially a rematch of the RLWC qualifier right?

Is it the same teams?

I believe Jamaica will be mostly domestic players as there’s no break in the English leagues this year.
Expect many of the players who played in the America’s 9s to turn out.

 

[adamkungl]

Both teams expected to be fully domestic based.

First time USA has played in Jamaica, and I believe the second ever test match in Jamaica, with a game vs Canada in 2017 being the first.

 

[siv]

At a reasonable hour too. Will enjoy over breakfast

 

[adamkungl]

Streams and squads added

 

[Burns]

Um
Did this happen

I can find nothing anywhere about it

 

[Pommy]

Um
Did this happen

I can find nothing anywhere about it

You must have looked really hard


Never mind it’s a blank video

 

[Burns]

Who won?

 

[yakstorm]

I've seen comments stating that Jamaica won 26 - 24 but nothing official

 

[Burns]

I an staggered that neither social media accounts for either team have any information about anything at all to with the game today. Absolute amateur hour.

 

[deluded pom?]

I an staggered that neither social media accounts for either team have any information about anything at all to with the game today. Absolute amateur hour.

The USARL are totally clueless when it comes to communication. Maybe the carrier pigeon hasn’t landed back in the States from Kingston yet.

 

[miguel de cervantes]

Jamaica 26 Def. USA 24

 

[RedVee]

It’s on Instagram https://instagram.com/rugbyleaguejamaica?igshid=1e7ie9p9pu9pb

 

[taste2taste]

I recently learnt in a rugby blog that Jamaica also plays Rugby Union.

Does anyone know how many players each code has ? Does one have the lion share of talent ? Or is it a case that both codes are so small that players flip and flop between them both ?

 

[adamkungl]

I recently learnt in a rugby blog that Jamaica also plays Rugby Union.

Does anyone know how many players each code has ? Does one have the lion share of talent ? Or is it a case that both codes are so small that players flip and flop between them both ?

I don't know the answer to that, but it's an interesting comparison.

Rugby Union is played in most countries around the world at some level, even if it's just expat poms mucking around. Their ranking board lists 105 nations, and to be sadly honest most of them probably play more international matches than our top nations.

BUT - and this is where Jamaica comes in - the path to a Rugby World Cup for most of them is all but impossible.
Jamaica in Union would have to win their regional level tournament, to then have a shot at the likes of USA, Canada, Uruguay, Argentina, all of who are too far ahead to realistically overcome.
In League, while it is top heavy, the minnow playing field is a lot more even. Nations like Jamaica and Greece and a host of others have a realistic shot at playing in a World Cup of Rugby - our one. It gives us an unexpected advantage.

So while we need to target big Rugby nations that hold a lot of influence in their region and internationally (France, Argentina, South Africa, Japan) the sport can also overtake Union in a lot of other places where they have no realistic hope of ever playing a World Cup, even going as far as using their existing clubs to get a boost.
Standout targets include
Jamaica, Brazil, Chile in the Americas
Nigeria, Ghana, Cameroon in Africa
Philippines, Thailand, India in Asia

If the 2025 RLWC offers guaranteed qualification spots to Asia, Africa, and South America (maybe at the cost of pool game intensity) it would be a huge statement of intent.