The Jamaica national rugby league team represents
Jamaica
Jamaica (; ) is an island country situated in the Caribbean Sea. Spanning in area, it is the third-largest island of the Greater Antilles and the Caribbean (after Cuba and Hispaniola). Jamaica lies about south of Cuba, and west of His ...
in international
rugby league
Rugby league football, commonly known as just rugby league and sometimes football, footy, rugby or league, is a full-contact sport played by two teams of thirteen players on a rectangular field measuring 68 metres (75 yards) wide and 112 ...
tournaments. Administered by the
Jamaica Rugby League Association
The Jamaica Rugby League Association is the governing body for the sport of rugby league football in Jamaica. The Association was formed in 2004.https://www.rlef.eu.com/teams/9
See also
* Rugby league in Jamaica
* Jamaica national rugby leagu ...
, the team made their full international debut at the 2009
Atlantic Cup against the
United States
The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 states, a federal district, five major unincorporated territorie ...
.
The team will make their first appearance at the
Rugby League World Cup
The Rugby League World Cup is an international rugby league tournament contested by the top national men's representative teams. The tournament is administered by the International Rugby League and was first held in France in 1954, which was ...
in
2021
File:2021 collage V2.png, From top left, clockwise: the James Webb Space Telescope was launched in 2021; Protesters in Yangon, Myanmar following the 2021 Myanmar coup d'état, coup d'état; A civil demonstration against the October–November 2021 ...
. They primarily wear yellow jerseys with green shorts and green socks. Their strongest line-up is composed mainly of
British Jamaican
British Jamaicans (or Jamaican British people) are British people who were born in Jamaica or who are of Jamaican descent. The community is well into its third generation and consists of around 300,000 individuals, the second-largest Jamaican ...
professional and semi-professional players, alongside amateurs based in Jamaica.
History
Early years
In July 2004 the Jamaica Rugby League Association was born. In 2005 a domestic competition was formed featuring four teams (Duhaney Park Sharks, Vauxhall Vultures, Jamaica Defence Force and Olympic Angels), and in 2006 a representative side was selected for the first time to play against a touring side from the West Yorkshire Police.
An Intercollegiate competition was launched in 2010 and now features six Universities and Colleges (University of the West Indies, University of Technology, Mico University College, Portmore Community College, GC Foster College and Excelsior Community College). There is also a thriving junior program with a number of High Schools and Primary Schools playing the sport. There is also a Division 2 competition featuring.
Jamaica played their first full international game against the
United States
The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 states, a federal district, five major unincorporated territorie ...
national side in
Jacksonville, Florida
Jacksonville is a city located on the Atlantic coast of northeast Florida, the most populous city proper in the state and is the largest city by area in the contiguous United States as of 2020. It is the seat of Duval County, with which the ...
in the
2009 Atlantic Cup. In October that year, Jamaica got their first victory at international level against
Canada
Canada is a country in North America. Its ten provinces and three territories extend from the Atlantic Ocean to the Pacific Ocean and northward into the Arctic Ocean, covering over , making it the world's second-largest country by tot ...
as part of the
2010 Atlantic Cup.
Attempts at World Cup Qualification
In 2011 Jamaica entered the Rugby League World Cup for the first time as they contested the
2013 Rugby League World Cup qualifying Atlantic section, they failed to qualify after defeating South Africa and losing to the United States.
In 2015 Jamaica aimed to improve on their 2011 disappointment and succeed in the
Americas qualification in order to qualify for their first ever World Cup in
2017
File:2017 Events Collage V2.png, From top left, clockwise: The War Against ISIS at the Battle of Mosul (2016-2017); aftermath of the Manchester Arena bombing; The Solar eclipse of August 21, 2017 ("Great American Eclipse"); North Korea tests a ser ...
but were ultimately unsuccessful.
World Cup Qualification Success
In 2018, Jamaica entered the World Cup qualifying stages for a third time with the matches also doubling up as the
2018 Americas Rugby League Championship. On 13 November 2018, Jamaica played Canada for a place in the qualification play-off. They defeated Canada 38-8 with Ben Jones-Bishop getting two tries in the victory. On 17 November 2018, Jamaica met the United States at
Hodges Stadium
Hodges Stadium is a multi-purpose stadium at the University of North Florida (UNF), and the home field for the North Florida Ospreys soccer, track and field, and cross country teams. It is located on the university's campus in Jacksonville, Flori ...
,
Jacksonville, Florida
Jacksonville is a city located on the Atlantic coast of northeast Florida, the most populous city proper in the state and is the largest city by area in the contiguous United States as of 2020. It is the seat of Duval County, with which the ...
to play for a place in the
2021 Rugby League World Cup
The 2021 Rugby League World Cup (RLWC2021) was a collection of world cups in the sport of rugby league, held in England from 15 October to 19 November 2022. England won hosting rights for the competition on 27 October 2016. The bid received £2 ...
. Jamaica raced into a 16-0 lead within the first 30 minutes of the game only for the United States to score 2 tries before half-time and pull the score back to 16-10 at the break. The second half was a tighter contest with defence becoming the priority for Jamaica and the half would ultimately end scoreless. Jamaica beat the United States 16-10, defeating United States for the first time in Jamaica's history and qualifying for the 2021 World Cup.
2021 Rugby League World Cup
Jamaica made their Rugby League World Cup debut against Ireland at
Headingley
Headingley is a suburb of Leeds, West Yorkshire, England, approximately two miles out of the city centre, to the north west along the A660 road. Headingley is the location of the Beckett Park campus of Leeds Beckett University and Headingle ...
losing 48-2.
In the second group stage match, Jamaica suffered a heavy defeat to New Zealand but scored their first ever try at the tournament. In the final group stage match, Jamaica were comprehensively beaten by Lebanon 74-12.
Current squad
Squad selected for the
2021 Rugby League World Cup
The 2021 Rugby League World Cup (RLWC2021) was a collection of world cups in the sport of rugby league, held in England from 15 October to 19 November 2022. England won hosting rights for the competition on 27 October 2016. The bid received £2 ...
.
Competitive Record
Jamaica have played 22 games in their history with their first full international being played in 2009 against the
United States
The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 states, a federal district, five major unincorporated territorie ...
, despite the team having been formed 3 years previously in 2006.
They have only played two nations more than once, playing
Canada
Canada is a country in North America. Its ten provinces and three territories extend from the Atlantic Ocean to the Pacific Ocean and northward into the Arctic Ocean, covering over , making it the world's second-largest country by tot ...
9 times and the United States 8 times. Jamaica regularly compete against these two nations in the
Americas Rugby League Championship, having taken part in all 3 editions of this competition to date. They have played 5 other nations, each once. The first of these teams was
South Africa
South Africa, officially the Republic of South Africa (RSA), is the southernmost country in Africa. It is bounded to the south by of coastline that stretch along the South Atlantic and Indian Oceans; to the north by the neighbouring countri ...
in 2011. In 2016, Jamaica played games in Europe for the first time, taking on
Ireland
Ireland ( ; ga, Éire ; Ulster Scots dialect, Ulster-Scots: ) is an island in the Atlantic Ocean, North Atlantic Ocean, in Northwestern Europe, north-western Europe. It is separated from Great Britain to its east by the North Channel (Grea ...
, comfortably defeating them 68-16 and
Wales
Wales ( cy, Cymru ) is a Countries of the United Kingdom, country that is part of the United Kingdom. It is bordered by England to the Wales–England border, east, the Irish Sea to the north and west, the Celtic Sea to the south west and the ...
, drawing 16-16. In 2017, Jamaica played their toughest opponent to date, taking on 2-time
World Cup
A world cup is a global sporting competition in which the participant entities – usually international teams or individuals representing their countries – compete for the title of world champion. The event most associated with the concept i ...
runners-up
France
France (), officially the French Republic ( ), is a country primarily located in Western Europe. It also comprises of Overseas France, overseas regions and territories in the Americas and the Atlantic Ocean, Atlantic, Pacific Ocean, Pac ...
, a game they would lose 12-34.
Jamaica played their 20th game when they took on United States in the
2021 Men's Rugby League World Cup qualifying
The 2021 Men's Rugby League World Cup qualification was the qualifying process which will decide the 8 teams that would join the 8 quarter-finalists from the 2021 Men's Rugby League World Cup, 2021 World Cup including the hosts England national ru ...
play-off, winning 16-10 and earning a place in the
2021 Rugby League World Cup
The 2021 Rugby League World Cup (RLWC2021) was a collection of world cups in the sport of rugby league, held in England from 15 October to 19 November 2022. England won hosting rights for the competition on 27 October 2016. The bid received £2 ...
in the process.
World Cup
Jamaica will make their debut at the
2021 Rugby League World Cup
The 2021 Rugby League World Cup (RLWC2021) was a collection of world cups in the sport of rugby league, held in England from 15 October to 19 November 2022. England won hosting rights for the competition on 27 October 2016. The bid received £2 ...
having failed to qualify on 2 occasions previously in 2013 and 2017. They will become the second nation from the Americas region to play in the world cup after
United States
The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 states, a federal district, five major unincorporated territorie ...
first took part in 2013.
Americas Rugby League Championship
The
Americas Rugby League Championship was introduced through the
RLIF
The International Rugby League (IRL) is the global governing body for the sport of rugby league football. Previously known as the ''Rugby League Imperial Board'', the '' International Rugby League Board'' and latterly the ''Rugby League Internat ...
policy of international expansion and development. Previous to the tournament's existence, the only regional competition in the Americas was the annual
Colonial Cup however only the
United States
The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 states, a federal district, five major unincorporated territorie ...
and
Canada
Canada is a country in North America. Its ten provinces and three territories extend from the Atlantic Ocean to the Pacific Ocean and northward into the Arctic Ocean, covering over , making it the world's second-largest country by tot ...
competed in this. The new competition would feature 3 teams with Jamaica being the new edition. Jamaica have competed in all 3 editions to date. In
2016
File:2016 Events Collage.png, From top left, clockwise: Bombed-out buildings in Ankara following the 2016 Turkish coup d'état attempt; the impeachment trial of Brazilian President Dilma Rousseff; Damaged houses during the 2016 Nagorno-Karabakh ...
, they would finish 3rd and last but would improve their position by a single place in the following 2 editions, finishing as runners-up in
2017
File:2017 Events Collage V2.png, From top left, clockwise: The War Against ISIS at the Battle of Mosul (2016-2017); aftermath of the Manchester Arena bombing; The Solar eclipse of August 21, 2017 ("Great American Eclipse"); North Korea tests a ser ...
and being crowned champions in
2018
File:2018 Events Collage.png, From top left, clockwise: The 2018 Winter Olympics opening ceremony in PyeongChang, South Korea; Protests erupt following the Assassination of Jamal Khashoggi; March for Our Lives protests take place across the United ...
. That year also saw the expansion of the competition to 4 teams with the addition of
Chile
Chile, officially the Republic of Chile, is a country in the western part of South America. It is the southernmost country in the world, and the closest to Antarctica, occupying a long and narrow strip of land between the Andes to the east a ...
.
Honours
''Regional:''
Americas Rugby League Championship:
*Champions (1): 2018
*''Runners-up'' (1): 2017
Notable players
The following is a list of Jamaican representative players who have played in a top-tier professional rugby league competition i.e. the
National Rugby League
The National Rugby League (NRL) is an Australasian rugby league club competition which contains clubs from New South Wales, Queensland, Victoria, the Australian Capital Territory and New Zealand. The NRL formed in 1998 as a joint partnership ...
and/or the
Super League
The Super League (officially known as the Betfred Super League due to sponsorship from Betfred and legally known as Super League Europe), is the top-level of the British rugby league system. At present the league consists of twelve teams, of wh ...
:
*
Richie Barnett
Richie Barnett (born 21 April 1971) is a New Zealand former professional rugby league footballer who played in the 1990s and 2000s. A New Zealand national rugby league team, New Zealand international representative , he also captained the side ...
*
Alex Brown
*
Lamont Bryan
Lamont Bryan (born ) is a Jamaica international rugby league footballer who plays for the London Skolars in Betfred League 1. Lamont Bryan's usual position is . He can also operate at , or .
Background
Bryan was born in Germany to an African- ...
*
Omari Caro
Omari Caro (born 7 March 1991) is a former Jamaican international rugby league footballer who last played as a er for the London Skolars in League 1. Upon retiring from professional rugby, Omari is now a high school teacher.
He previously pl ...
*
Ashton Golding
Ashton Golding (born 4 September 1996) is a Jamaica international rugby league rugby player who plays as a for the Huddersfield Giants in the Betfred Super League.
Golding has previously played for the Leeds Rhinos in the Super League, and s ...
*
Greg Johnson
*
Karl Pryce
Karl Pryce (born 27 July 1986), also known by the nicknames of "Big Karl", and " Hightower", is an English former professional rugby league footballer, best known for playing for the Bradford Bulls. His usual position was on the . Pryce previou ...
*
Leon Pryce
Leon Pryce (born 9 October 1981) is a professional rugby League coach who most recently coached Workington Town in League 1 and an English former professional rugby league footballer who played as a and in the 1990s, 2000s and 2010s.
A Grea ...
*
Waine Pryce
Waine Pryce (born ) is a former professional rugby league footballer who played as a er and also as a in the 2000s and 2010s. He played at international level for England 'A' and Jamaica, and at club level for the Castleford Tigers, Wakefiel ...
*
Paul White
*
Ben Jones-Bishop
Ben Jones-Bishop (born 24 August 1988) is a Jamaica international rugby league footballer who plays as a er or for the Sheffield Eagles in the RFL Championship.
He played for the Leeds Rhinos in the Super League, and on loan from Leeds at ...
*
Michael Lawrence
*
Dominic Young
*
Will Pryce
See also
*
Rugby league in the West Indies Rugby league is a team sport which is growing in popularity in the West Indies.
Popularity
Participation
Rugby league participation in the Caribbean has only been possible as recently as 2005, with the introduction of the JRLA National Preimershi ...
*
West Indies national rugby league team
References
External links
Jamaica Rugby League Association
{{National sports teams of Jamaica
National rugby league teams
Sports teams in Jamaica
Jamaican rugby league teams
R