Just 17 years after first playing rugby league, Jamaica’s Reggae Warriors made their World Cup bow on Sunday night.
There was no memorable win - that would have been dreamy - but after the journey they’ve been on, that wasn’t the point. As the first Caribbean side ever to reach this level, they had already made history when stepping out against an Ireland side made up mainly of full-time professional players. And with a big Jamaican population in Leeds, they weren’t short of support at Headingley, especially for Chevaugn Bailey.
A comparative rookie, he plays in the island’s domestic amateur competition for Duhaney Park Red Sharks. Lead coach Jermaine Coleman said: “He’s a local player who’s never played Championship or even League 1. He’s come over here and played the full 80 minutes. It was phenomenal. As a whole, though, it's an amazing achievement for us and there’s a lot of hard work gone in over a number of years.
