Meanwhile in the Caribbean...

Its a story that the press as a whole seem to be ignoring with avengence, but as I was only exchanging a few emails with the islands a few days ago I kinda feel obliged to pass on what is happening out there - or at least that which I know, which isn't much. Partly so that if anyone ever complains about the weather again I can point out that it could be worse, but mainly because I reckon someone should say something.

Anyway - the story so far. After a year or preparations the Cayman Islands were due to host one of their most prestigious rugby events ever this weekend. Rugby in the islands had been all but wiped out on three years ago when Hurricane Ivan devastated the islands, and especially the rugby grounds in George Town on Grand Cayman. However, since then the game has been revived and they have hosted a number of regional sevens tournaments, including the ironically names "Hurricane Sevens".

These have brought in cash - and also sparked a revival of the game, including the women's game. The men's team is one of the strongest in the Caribbean and the women sound as if they have been catching up - despite a very small base they have run the Caribbean's leading women's nation - Jamaica - close in the internationals played to date.

So the hosting of the third Caribbean Championships was a big event - and the first time the women had entered. Women teams from Trinidad and Jamaica - plus men's teams from seven nations (including Mexico!) were on their way in the lead up to the first game, due to be played today.

Then last Wednesday came the hurricane warning - headed straight for the Caymans by way of Jamaica. This is a proper hurricane - not the storms we occasionally have over here which are mistakenly given that title. Hurricane Dean is big - we are talking average wind speeds of 100mph+ winds plus 20" of rainfall over a few hours.

Its seems that the Jamaican team had not set off - fortunately - though they will have the storm arriving with them today. Most of the Trinidad team were already in George Town, however, and have only just managed to find a flight out. That flight will take them to Miami, but they will have no accommodation there nor any news of any other flights taking them home. However, three of their party - plus their referee - were still in transit and were last heard of stuck in Jamaica (not a great place to be stuck at the moment).

As for the Cayman girls, and their clubs - presumably battening down everything and hoping the storm will miss them. The good news is that the latest forecast has the predicted line of the Hurricane inching south... it might just miss them... They'll find out tomorrow...