JA rugby team’s confident up

The national rugby league team has big dreams of qualifying for the 2013 world cup, and they demonstrated in england recently, that it is not all talk.

Ten locals were on the team which defeated UK Super League outfit Hull FC 22-14, and lost by nine points to the league’s champions Wigan Warriors in the Carnegie Nines.

Jamaica will play the United States and South Africa next October for one spot at the world cup.

And Romeo Monteith, Development Officer for the Jamaica Rugby League Association, is inspired by the team’s recent performance.

“Experiencing a victory against a professional side like Hull FC was a major boost of confidence. I think the boys will know they can match up against the Americans who are not professional but amateur players like themselves.

“The Americans will be bigger but our boys know that if they get in the gym, based on what they’ve seen in England, they can compete against anyone. This tour has done a great deal for their confidence and the boys are really looking forward to next year, to show the rugby league world that Jamaica has arrived,” Mr. Monteith said.

Jamaica will contest the Atlantic Cup in November alongside the US and Canada as they continue preparations for the word cup qualifiers.