A relatively inexperienced Saint Lucia national team will be bolstered by two overseas players for the Rugby Americas North (RAN) Sevens Tournament, November 21–23, 2025, at the Larry Gomes Stadium in Trinidad and Tobago. Saint Lucia are drawn in Tier 2 alongside The Bahamas, British Virgin Islands, Curaçao, St Vincent and the Grenadines, and the Turks and Caicos Islands.
This year’s squad will feature elite youth from the Saint Lucia Rugby Youth Academy (VIPER Rugby), four locally-based senior players, along with Melvin Alexis and Claudius Medouze, both of whom are based in Canada.
“Saint Lucia Rugby is proud to field a youthful, dynamic team, composed of the top players representing Saint Lucia and its diaspora,” said technical director Wayne Pantor. “With a mixture of… senior players and… rookie youth players… this tournament is a changing of the guard for the senior men’s programme and the development pathway.”
Alexis was the 2024 player of the year for Rugby Ontario, and the four-year veteran has been part of Canada’s national team setup. Playing for Peterborough Pagans in the Marshall Premiership, he led his team in ties, scoring three in one memorable game. In April 2025, he was called up to the LIT Olympic Rugby Sevens Camp at the Olympic Training Centre in Chula Vista, California, where he received instruction from Olympians and USA Rugby stars.
Medouze moved to Canada in 2004 and played with teams across Canada and the United States, including Brampton Beavers in Ontario. He is the founder of Misfits Rugby Football Club, which was formed in 2022. Misfits has competed in tournaments across the Caribbean, including the Saint Lucia Carnival Rugby Sevens.
The diasporic ruggers have been training with their domestic counterparts for the past week, under the leadership of head coach Chantal John, assistant coach Electra Marcelle, and manager Meraius James. Senetta Viger will travel with the team as medical support staff.
Among the numbers heading across to the twin island republic will be youth players LeMani Lewis, Malyle Cherry, Yantez Jn Baptiste, Cherquain St Croix, Muhammad McLorrain, and Benerrero Wellington. Wellington will be representing Saint Lucia in a third different sport, having previously worn national colours for football and volleyball.
That sextet’s ascension to the senior ranks is part of the strategic four-year plan for Rugby Saint Lucia. The squad also comprises Jesey Francois, Neighman Lascaris, Ethan Phillip, and Dwayne George Nathaniel, all of whom have been capped previously at the senior level.
The team will arrive in the Land of the Hummingbird for pre-tournament training sessions from November 19 to 20, and they are keen to showcase Saint Lucia Rugby’s talent and spirit on the international stage.
“This tournament presents a valuable development opportunity for our athletes and a chance to represent Saint Lucia with pride,” Pantor said.
The annual RAN Sevens tournament will be hosted by the Trinidad and Tobago Rugby Union for the second year in a row, having been allocated for three years in succession. The winners of the Men’s Tier 1 will qualify for the World Rugby SVNS pathway. The top three Tier 1 teams, excluding defending champions Canada, can also qualify for the 2026 Central American and Caribbean Games, being held in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic. The Tier 2 winners will be promoted to Tier 1 for 2026.
