From footballer to rugby coach extraordinaire

regional and international tournaments,” he recounted.

Though the years of existence for the Wolves were long, they had a fairly successful run. The players however, did not disband or stop playing, they are now called The Panthers but are no longer associated with the university.

“I stopped coaching the university team due to some administrative issues between myself and the administrative staff at the university. It so happened that when I told them I was leaving the guys decided they would be left behind so they shut down the Wolves and we formed The Panthers. The guys who played for the Wolves are now wearing purple and black playing for Panthers,” Adonis said.

The representative UG Wolves and The Panthers teams have not been short of victories nor have the players been unable to make the national teams to represent Guyana internationally.

“The team is underestimated. I think because these are guys who are now starting the sport compared to those who have experience upward of 10 and 15 years in the game, nobody really takes us seriously. When they come on the field against us is when they realize that this team is not a jokey team. I don’t like to celebrate a win that is not won outright and I do not like losing at all. I would rather we win by a lot of points than it be a close win because that means that the other teams were able to break through the defence to get those points.”

Coming off of back-to-back title hauls for the GRFU Sevens and the Trophy Stall Sevens, The Panthers were defeated by the Pepsi Hornets in their first round match up in the ongoing Bounty Farm XV’s Tournament. At the end of the ongoing 15s tournament, Adonis hopes to make it a hat-trick and get a third title in a row.

“Everybody likes to win. As long as I could push the guys to their best I will do that. The more we show that dominance on the field and keep the wins coming, the more our players will have to be considered for selection for national teams and that is the aim,” Adonis said.

“I try to be as knowledgeable as possible of how I train the young guys. I do not read all those books from the foreigners about how to coach six-footers weighing 200 up pounds because the players on this end do not have that physical make up, but I observe, compare game plays and strategies then try to use that as best as I could,” he declared.

For many of his players, Adonis is seen as more than a coach. He is a father-figure to players from The Panthers team.

When asked about the relationship he has with his team members he said: “We are a family and you could see it. We argue with one another and then in the next minute we are good again laughing and talking like nothing. They do things that upset me and I would have to tell them about. It’s an open environment with us and some of them guys talk to me about things they want advice about,” he said.

He may have children of his own but that doesn’t stop Adonis from being treated like a father by other young people. “Father’s Day this year, one of the guys posted something on Facebook and mentioned me like I was his father. It was really nice and I felt really appreciated. A little bit more I would have shed a tear,” he said.