Guam set for Division III East challenge against Brunei and China

Guam captain Brian Ramiro is ready for his side to take on Brunei in the Asia Rugby Championship Division III East opening match.

In a round-robin format, China will also play both sides on Thursday and Saturday to crown the eventual champion.

First up, Guam face Brunei and Ramiro says his side have done ‘all we can’ in preparation.

“We have done all we can in terms of preparation, doing our homework and at this point it is about doing everything right and making sure everything pays off,” said Ramiro.

Guam will be the favourites heading into the tournament as the highest ranked side in the World Rugby rankings, but it is not all about winning the tournament for their captain.

“Of course we want the hard work to pay off with a win,” added Ramiro.

“But we want to leave it all out there on the field. If you can say that we will be happy with our performance, but a win would make it a little bit better.

“It would mean a lot to win, of course, especially to the boys. About half the team are debutants and it will be a good experience for them to take home and hopefully something to build on.”

Rugby is on the up in Guam, as it is in many Asian countries and for Ramero he is enjoying seeing the development across the country.

“The game is still fairly young. It was introduced about 13 years ago but it is growing rapidly.

“We have just introduced mini school rugby for ages 7 to 11 and the fan base is growing. It is growing in popularity.”

For Ramero personally, rugby has touched his heart and he will relish the opportunity to captain his side in the Division III East competition with open arms.

“Rugby means everything to me,” explained Ramiro.

“Not just the game but what it teaches you on and off the field and the values it instils in you in life as a person.

“It is something you carry with you everyday and it really changes everything.”