Three UTT athletes, Joseph Quashie, Mark Poon, and Nicholas King were selected for the Trinidad and Tobago National U19 team for the NAWIRA U19 Championships.
The athletes had been in preparation for some time for the NAWIRA (North America West Indies Rugby Association) Under-19 Rugby championships.
The Cayman Islands were the defending champions and hosted the one-week Under-19 tournament from July 4 to 11.
Prior to this, the Academy of Sports and Leisure Studies hosted their first UTT sevens Floodlit sevens event at Mannie Ramjohn stadium and won all four games defeating current National sevens Champions Rainbow by 15 to 5 and also beating National XV champions Caribs by 15 to zero.
NAWIRA U19 Caribbean Championships
T&T U19 reports From Cayman Islands:
UTT players in team, Joseph Quashie, Mark Poon, Nicholas King'
T&T v Mexico
A try from winger John Taylor after 4 minutes gives T&T an early 5-0 lead.
Penalty from scrum half Kendall Mootoo extends T&T lead to 8-0.
Solid forward pressure from Mexico on the T&T line sets up Hooker Alejandro Pradillo for a try from 5 metres out to narrow the T&T lead at 8-5.
Half time score: 8-5
Mootoo opens the scoring in the second half with a penalty for T&T (11-5).
Mootoo adds another penalty to take the lead to 14-0. Game seems to be slipping away from Mexico, who just can't seem to be able to penetrate the T&T defence.
Mexico respond with a well worked try, at last managing to unleash center Christian Henning who scores in the right corner.
Henning misses the conversion. Mexico still need another try with only minutes on the clock. Two quick tries see Mexico take a 22-14 lead over T&T.
Bryan Fada scores, Miguel Carner converts, followed immediately after the restart with centre Daniel Bolanos scoring in the right corner. The match thus swings in Mexico's favour.
Full time score: T&T 14 Mexico 22. What a comeback late in the second half by Mexico, who showed a never die say attitude!
A disappointing end for T&T who played intelligent rugby throughout the match and came so close to winning.
Mexico advanced to Saturday's (July 11th) final where they will play the winner of Cayman v Jamaica.
Semi Final 2
Referee: Tim Luscombe (USA)
Cayman Islands 28 Jamaica 22 (HT:22-0)
In a very tight and close match with both teams finding it difficult to break each other down and create any real opportunities, Scrum Half Kendall Mootoo eventually open the scoring with a 35 metres penalty. On the stroke of half time second row Mike Augustus extends T&Ts lead to 8.
Half time: T&T 8 Jamaica 0
Mootoo extends the lead to 11-0 with a penalty minutes into the second half. Fly half Zane Campbell extends the lead to 14-0 with a penalty.
A Joseph Quashie try on the final whistle, converted by Mootoo brings the final score to 21-0
Full time: T&T 21 Jamaica 0
