Haitian rugby team plays in Cape Fear 7’s tournament, hopes to create national team

The team won its first game playing together on Saturday, June 24th

WILMINGTON, NC (WWAY) — Over 60 teams packed into Ogden Park to take part in the Cape Fear 7’s Rugby tournament on Saturday, June 24th, and Sunday, June 25th. For one of those teams, the tournament was the first time they had ever played together.

A team made up of players of Haitian descent came to the tournament, focused on taking the next step in a process that has lasted years.

Over the past 3 years, the team and its players have been working to build up interest in rugby in Haiti as currently, the country does not have a national team, men’s or women’s.

All of the players were either born on the island or have parents who were born there.

Luc Desroches is the team captain. He said it means a lot to be a part of the team.

“For me personally, I know its just a sense of pride,” Desroches said. “My father was born on the island, his father before him, and his father before him. So for me, it means of connecting with my roots and being able to just take pride in my lineage and where that’s from, and for the rest of the boys, I’m sure it’s a similar story.”

After losing the first 2 games they played at the tournament, they were able to win their third and final game on Saturday. It is the first win they’ve had together as a team.

Mickael Dejean is a winger for the team and said getting that win was a great moment for them.

“It was, it was breathtaking because it’s the first time that we’ve been in an official tournament and having a win,” Dejean said. “So it kind of like put the stamp for the groundwork we’ve been doing for the past two years. So now we know we have the talent, we have the skills.”

The team’s head coach, Eric Wilson, said its been special seeing the team come together over the years.

“To look back on 3 and a half years and to see the win that we got yesterday, I’m just still buzzing off of that,” Wilson said. “The score doesn’t matter this weekend. Its nice to see wins of course. But what goes on behind the scenes when we’re at the house having meals together, speaking Creole, working on my Creole, listening to Haitian music, its a really special experience.”

Wilson said the hope is to form a women’s team to compete alongside the men’s team at next year’s tournament.