The Jamaica Rugby Union (JRU) has been thrown into even deeper financial crisis following a televised display by several of its members who said they were kicked out of the team hotel during the Caribbean Women's 15's Championships held here in September.

JRU public relations officer Rohan Stewart told Sporting World that since the incident, the union has been unable to get sponsorship to send two teams to the Caribbean 7's Championships in Barbados from November 10-13 because companies they have approached have closed the door in their faces, saying they do not want to be associated with that kind of negativity.

Several women's team members and coach Victor Hyde appeared on television on Saturday, September 30 making claims that they had been kicked out of their hotel because the JRU had not paid the bill.
However, JRU chairman, Jacob Thompson said the claims were untrue and that he had personally asked the team members to leave the hotel because of financial constraints the union was facing in staging the Championships.

Thompson said he had footed most of the J$1.8-m cost of hosting the event with some help from the Jamaica Defence Force.

Meanwhile, Stewart said a hearing is now pending and the persons involved in the incident are due to face the JRU's disciplinary committee, headed by Ken Cole, some time next week.
"The hearing will be to take the necessary action against those persons who brought the union into disrepute in the way they bring across the wrong information to the media and the manner in which it was done," Stewart said.

Stewart said Cole (who told Sporting World he was the one that called the media) had been temporarily suspended from coaching the women's team.
If found guilty, the parties involved could face charges ranging from a minimum of a six-month ban and fines or a maximum of a two-year ban.

Stewart said, however, that the drama which unfolded had caused great problems for the sport's body which was already in financial difficulty.

"It had a negative impact on the union, so when we are approaching corporate sponsors, even today, we are having a problem because they don't want to be associated with that sort of negativity," Stewart said.

"Sponsors are reluctant to associate themselves with us at this time until we clear the air and the necessary disciplinary action has been taken against the persons involved," he added.
Jamaica went on to win the Caribbean 15's Championships after a resounding 27-0 win over Trinidad and Tobago in the final game at the UWI Bowl on Monday, October 2. Guyana were the other team in the Championships.

Jamaica are the defending men's champion while the women were runners-up in the Caribbean Rugby 7's Championships.

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