Rugby union in Saint Kitts and Nevis
Encyclopedia
Rugby union
in Saint Kitts and Nevis
is a minor, but growing sport. Cricket
and association football tend to be more popular.
but which is in NAWIRA.
Games against visiting ships, and touring sides are common, as well as against neighbouring Caribbean islands.
In 2009, IRB
Regional Development Officer Scott Harland visited Saint Kitts and Nevis, and stated that he was impressed by local interest in the game. Harland also said that the sport had suffered from an "expatriate" image but that it was not reflected by the facts on the ground.
There is a school rugby programme in Molineux
, and a Peace Corps
volunteer at St. Theresa’s Convent School has also been involved in coaching the game. However, the islands' small population of 42,696 means it is unlikely to emerge as a power in the near future.
Rugby union
Rugby union, often simply referred to as rugby, is a full contact team sport which originated in England in the early 19th century. One of the two codes of rugby football, it is based on running with the ball in hand...
in Saint Kitts and Nevis
Saint Kitts and Nevis
The Federation of Saint Kitts and Nevis , located in the Leeward Islands, is a federal two-island nation in the West Indies. It is the smallest sovereign state in the Americas, in both area and population....
is a minor, but growing sport. Cricket
Cricket
Cricket is a bat-and-ball game played between two teams of 11 players on an oval-shaped field, at the centre of which is a rectangular 22-yard long pitch. One team bats, trying to score as many runs as possible while the other team bowls and fields, trying to dismiss the batsmen and thus limit the...
and association football tend to be more popular.
Governing body
The governing body is the St Kitts and Nevis Rugby Association (SKNRA), which is not currently affiliated to IRBInternational Rugby Board
The International Rugby Board is the governing body for the sport of rugby union. It was founded in 1886 as the International Rugby Football Board by the unions of Scotland, Wales and Ireland. England refused to join until 1890. The International Rugby Football Board changed its name to the...
but which is in NAWIRA.
History
The British first introduced the game to the islands, and for a number of years it was mainly played by expatriates. Now it has some uptake by the local population.Games against visiting ships, and touring sides are common, as well as against neighbouring Caribbean islands.
In 2009, IRB
International Rugby Board
The International Rugby Board is the governing body for the sport of rugby union. It was founded in 1886 as the International Rugby Football Board by the unions of Scotland, Wales and Ireland. England refused to join until 1890. The International Rugby Football Board changed its name to the...
Regional Development Officer Scott Harland visited Saint Kitts and Nevis, and stated that he was impressed by local interest in the game. Harland also said that the sport had suffered from an "expatriate" image but that it was not reflected by the facts on the ground.
There is a school rugby programme in Molineux
Molineux stadium
Molineux Stadium is a Premier League football stadium situated in Whitmore Reans, Wolverhampton, England. It has been the home ground of Wolverhampton Wanderers Football Club since 1889, and has a long and illustrious history as the first 'new build' stadium in Football League history, one of the...
, and a Peace Corps
Peace Corps
The Peace Corps is an American volunteer program run by the United States Government, as well as a government agency of the same name. The mission of the Peace Corps includes three goals: providing technical assistance, helping people outside the United States to understand US culture, and helping...
volunteer at St. Theresa’s Convent School has also been involved in coaching the game. However, the islands' small population of 42,696 means it is unlikely to emerge as a power in the near future.