After being faced with numerous tests and trials along the way, Jamaica’s Rugby League team weathered the storm and have now achieved the historic feat of being the first Caribbean team to qualify for a Rugby League World Cup.

The Reggae Warriors completed their historic journey towards the World Cup when they bettered long-time rivals USA Hawks 16-10 in the final of the recently concluded Americas Championship in Jacksonville, Florida, to become the 11th nation to clinch their place in the 16-team 2021 world tournament to be staged in England.

Rugby League in Jamaica has a small history which first started in 2004 when the Jamaica Rugby League Association (JRLA) was formed. They played their first-ever international against the USA in 2009, and has since broadened the skill level of team members while increasing competitiveness. They have also previously rubbed shoulders with France and Wales.

Marvin Thompson, finance officer at Supreme Ventures Limited and captain of the Reggae Warriors, was overjoyed after the electrifying match that solidified Jamaica’s place in the Rugby World Cup.

“As the first Jamaican rugby team to beat the USA and to advance to the World Cup, it’s such an amazing feeling. Being a part of this team has been life-changing, and I’m so grateful for my teammates and our loyal fans. It’s not every day you hear ‘Jamaica’, ‘Rugby’ and ‘World Cup’ in one sentence, and now we’re headed to the largest tournament in the world. I’ve been on an emotional journey — not only myself, but all my teammates,” Thompson shared.

“This journey has not been easy; we had to fight our way to get to where we are right now and pay our way and that’s why it means so much to us. This win means a lot not just to us but to Jamaica. It’s a groundbreaking experience to be heading to the World Cup,” he added.

The 16th staging of the Rugby League World Cup will see 16 teams competing for the title, including seasoned rugby teams from France and Wales, and Thompson disclosed that training for the next three years will be intense in an effort to mount a substantial challenge to the other big teams in the competition.

Meanwhile, Minister of Sport Olivia Grange had high praises for the Rugby League team that has followed in the footsteps of the Rugby Union team, which also created history earlier this year with their presence at the Rugby Sevens World Cup.

“These have been such wonderful displays by Jamaica in a sport in which we have not been traditionally strong. With the Warriors bringing down the Hawks, Jamaica has been put squarely in line for The Rugby League World Cup, which we know will be competed for in England in 2021.

“Not just the players, but the coach, the manager and all others around the team deserve our highest regard, and as the minister of sport it is my great pleasure to convey those sentiments to them as we laud the magnificent performance that has once again created history for Jamaica in the sport of rugby,” Grange noted.

The Reggae Warriors will join hosts England, World Champions Australia, Fiji, France, Lebanon, New Zealand, Papua New Guinea, Samoa, Tonga, and Wales as the teams that have already qualified for the 16-team tournament. Four more spots will be filled by European teams, while another spot will be taken by the USA, South Africa or the Cook Islands, depending on who wins their intercontinental play-off tournament.