Anthony Foster, Freelance Writer

JRU president Jacob Thompson. - Rudolph Brown/Chief Photographer

Financial support from the Government has been blamed for the slow advance of rugby in Jamaica, according to chairman of the Jamaica Rugby Union (JRU), Jacob Thompson.

"Over the years, the Government has not really done anything for the Jamaica Rugby Union," said Thompson, who believes Prime Minister Portia Simpson Miller, who is the Minister of Sports, should be doing better.

"We still don't have a home for ourselves," he pointed out. "If they could only help us to have a decent home, we would have brought more than 50 teams a year into Kingston to play rugby.

"And to help bring in foreign exchange. Barbados is doing it, Trinidad is doing that, so we are not looking handouts," he added.

Jamaica's Under-19 team created history by becoming the first Caribbean team to qualify for a Word Cup and Thompson says the reward they've received is "nothing".

He said they only received $200,000 from the Government-run Sports Development Foundation (SDF) and when divided for three teams - Under-19, which qualified, the men's and women's teams, which will start qualifying competitions next month, it works out to $66,666.

"It cost $1.8m to go to Cayman for the Caribbean Championships (World Cup qualification) and that did not include preparation leading up to the tournament," Thompson said.

"The Jamaica Rugby Union has been struggling without the financial backing," he continued, adding that the SDF gives them $500,000 per year, which works out to $52,000 monthly.

That amount, he said, "cannot cover the bills we have on a monthly basis".

Player assistance

Out of that amount he says they give $10,000 each to the counties of Cornwall, Middlesex and Surrey and the coach gets 10,000 to help to buy things for the teams.

The remaining $12,000, he said, goes in the coffers to assist players with bus fare and meals for training.

Though he wants more money pumped into the sport, Thompson is somewhat pleased with the progress the sport is making, especially since their qualification for the World Cup.

"We are not 100 per cent satisfied, but I am still happy because I live to see the first Caribbean country qualify for the World Cup."

At present, the union runs five competitions - Under-12, Under-16, and Under-19, along with its Division One and Two competitions.

Sixteen clubs, including Division One champions Pembroke Hall Rookies and D2 winners G.C. Lions, along with over 90 schools, have entered the school's competitions.

Assist players

The Rugby Union, according to Thompson, was also able to set up regional leadership in all three counties with Patrick Alexander (Cornwall), Jason Campbell (Middlesex) and Victor Hyde (Surrey) and this, he said, helped big time.

They also have their home at Caymanas, where he says rugby has been played since the '40s.

According to Thompson, it was a miscommunication with the Urban Development Corporation (UDC) and the JRU pertaining to a structure at the ground, which the UDC wanted them to demolish.

Thompson said after a meeting with their engineers and members from the JRU who are also engineers, it was decided his body was not willing to go with their plan because they had already spent over $1.8 million.

Thompson hinted that money owed to them may have prompted the fallout.

They are now using G.C. Foster College, but while admitting that it's not the best facility, he said they are working closely with the school to improve the facility.