Sun is shining on game in Jamaica
RUGBY league is often associated with Australia and northern England. However, rugby league is branching out and has now reached the sunny shores of Jamaica.
Despite not appearing to fit the norm of a rugby league nation, Jamaica have qualified for the 2021 World Cup.
But it is no fluke, according to former Huddersfield Giants winger Alex Brown, who plays for Jamaica and Dewsbury Rams.
He told The Examiner : “It started with Romeo Monteith [Jamaica Rugby League Director of Rugby]. Basically, he started up the team in 2004 and their first international was in 2008.
“So it’s 14 years since it started and we’ve only been playing for eight to 10 years but it’s been really good.”
Despite Jamaica playing rugby league for a very short time, they’ve had previous near misses at qualifying for a World Cup.
Brown told us: “Two years ago we tried to qualify. We played America first, we lost to them and then we drew to Canada. America then went on to beat Canada and qualify.”
After finally managing to qualify this time, how has this impacted rugby league in Jamaica?
Joel Farrell of Sheffield Eagles and Jamaica believes it has had a massive impact. He said: “They [local rugby league sides] used to get kicked off the pitch a lot but now, because we’ve done what we have done, they can go back with international funding, get a pitch set up, get their own base set up and hopefully grow and grow.”
As an international side, Jamaica must have three domestic-based players in their squad in order to comply with international rules.
Despite rugby league not being a popular sport in Jamaica, Brown and Farrell have been impressed with the level of talent from the Jamaicanbased players.
Brown said: “Yeah they’ve really stepped up a lot. They’ve surprised us. Improving a lot so you know there was a big gap between UK based players and the Jamaican players but the ones that have come over have really stepped up.”
Farrell said: “There are athletes out there, there are a lot of athletes but there are only two sports, football and athletics.
“The Jamaica four years ago [for their last qualifying campaign] were alright, you could tell they’ve been putting in the work. Marvin Thompson and Tyrone Wade, those have really stepped up.”
As Jamaica sealed their qualification last month in Jacksonville, their legacy has started to develop, and Brown can already see this improving Jamaican Rugby League.
He said: “There’s been a league out there for seven or eight years.
“Basically they started from scratch, little funding but now there’s big competitions out there.
“Now they’ve seen us qualify, everyone’s going to be like ‘I wanna be part of that team’.
“So the level and determination from Jamaicans will step up a lot.”