Guyana suffered their second defeat of the Rugby Americas North (RAN) Men’s XVs campaign on Saturday, going down 43-5 to Barbados at the Garrison Savannah in Bridgetown.
The home side was dominant from the outset, running in a series of unanswered tries to register a convincing win over the Green Machine, who have now lost both of their 2024 fixtures.
The Guyanese side was looking to bounce back from their 48-17 loss to the Cayman Islands in April, but struggled once again to gain a foothold, particularly at the breakdown and in defence.
The result comes as a surprise given Guyana’s historical dominance over Barbados, having won six of the previous seven official Test matches between the two sides. Saturday’s defeat, however, has raised fresh questions around the cohesion and direction of the current squad.
The RAN Men’s XVs competition features teams from across the Caribbean and North America, including Bahamas, Bermuda, Cayman Islands, Jamaica, Mexico, St Lucia, St Vincent and the Grenadines, and Trinidad and Tobago, alongside Barbados and Guyana.
Looking ahead, the RAN structure is set for a significant overhaul in 2026, with the introduction of a three-tier format designed to better align the region with the global game. The restructuring will also incorporate qualifying pathways for the 2027 Rugby World Cup for the first time.
Canada and the USA, the region’s two top-ranked sides, will not compete in the current RAN cycle. Instead, they will take part in the Pacific Nations Cup later this year as part of their qualification campaign for Rugby World Cup 2027.
