The last time the West Indies rugby league team played was in 2004, but if they decide to return to the international scene, the Wahoos could have a strong team.
The Caribbean and West Indies region was represented by the West Indies Rugby League Federation, which was established in 2003.
Due to a lack of funds, the Wahoos pulled out of the 2006 USA World Cup qualification process for the 2008 World Cup.
In 2004, the West Indies participated in only one international rugby league match. At the New River Stadium in London, they defeated South Africa 50-22, with players like Joe Brown, Alex Rowe, and Jamaine Wray proudly representing their heritage.
Following their single international match, the West Indies, like the Great British and Irish national rugby league team, broke up into separate nations.
Consequently, Jamaica became the first Caribbean nation to qualify for the 2021 World Cup. Kids in Jamaica now receive scholarships to play rugby league because of the Reggae Warriors’ meteoric rise.
But just for fun, we’ve decided to examine what a strong West Indies team might look like if their international rugby league team ever returns.
Given that there are approximately 170,000 Jamaican-born people in the UK, Jamaica was expected to have the highest representation in our team, compared to the 25,000 Trinidadians and 10,000 Grenadans.
The strong team that Love Rugby League and He Can Play For have put together for the Wahoos is the result of combining their heritage research. Here’s how the West Indies could line up if their international rugby league team returned:
Through his grandfather, Connor, who was born in Halifax, would be eligible to play for Trinidad.
Last year, the full-back from Huddersfield represented his Trinidadian heritage at the Combined Nations All Stars. When asked about playing for the All Stars, Connor told Hull Live: The most important thing is that I can represent the Trinidadian heritage of my family. It’s probably the only opportunity I’ll get to represent them, so I just thought I’d do it because my grandad is from there and my family has that heritage.
Before retiring from international duty last year, the Huddersfield legend excelled on the international stage for England, winning 17 caps for England and four for Great Britain. Through his grandparents, with whom he shared a home as a child, he is of Grenadian descent.
Cudjoe, like McGillvary, is a legend for Huddersfield. Between 2010 and 2013, he earned ten England caps.
Cudjoe’s ancestry comes from the Grenada-owned island of Carriacou. He has expressed his desire for a West Indies team in the past.
In a 2020 interview with The Sun, Cudjoe stated: It’s a huge accomplishment that Jamaica qualified for the World Cup, and I’ll cheer them on from afar. However, it’s unfortunate that we don’t have a West Indies team because that would expand the pool of players who could participate.