Jamaica Targets 2031 Rugby World Cup with Developing Pathways and Overseas Support
Jamaica is ambitiously aiming to qualify for the 2031 Rugby World Cup by developing pathways for both 15s and sevens rugby. The Jamaica Rugby UK organization, operating under the Jamaica Rugby Football Union, consists of around 500 members and administers rugby pathways across the UK and Jamaica.
Since 2021, Phil Davis has led a 15s pathway program targeting players of Jamaican heritage, with Ben Hatfield among the early beneficiaries who has since progressed to playing club rugby in Australia after moving there for a year through the pathway initiative. The long-term development plans include establishing a Jamaican presence at the 2028 Under-20 World Cup, cultivating a strong under-16 cohort, and focusing on female sevens teams with an Olympic target.
A key breakthrough moment occurred in 2018 when a combined UK/Jamaica-based sevens side finished third at the Youth Olympics qualifiers held in Las Vegas. Despite these promising developments, Jamaica currently faces challenges such as the absence of an official rugby pitch on the island. However, Prime Minister Andrew Holness has agreed to assist in securing a rugby pitch. Other barriers include travel costs and the lack of a headline sponsor.
A transformative three-month high-performance camp held in California significantly elevated the players' skills and there is a strong call for a World Rugby partnership to establish a similar high-performance camp based in Jamaica to further support player development.
