The battle to be crowned the NAWIRA [North America West Indies Rugby Association] Under 19 2007 champions went right down to the wire with Jamaica ultimately triumphing in a penalty shootout in the Cayman Islands.
Jamaica and Guyana had been locked at 14-14 in a closely fought final when the whistle blew, meaning a penalty shootout would decide who would represent the region at the inaugural IRB Junior World Rugby Trophy in 2008.
In the end it was the Jamaican players who held their nerve to win the shootout 4-1 and become the first Caribbean nation to qualify for an IRB international tournament in the 15-a-side game.
The Cayman Islands claimed third place overall with their 18-7 defeat of Barbados, while Trinidad & Tobago edged Mexico 12-6 in the fifth place playoff on Saturday.
Guyana had earlier finished top of Pool A after beating Barbados 19-11 and Trinidad & Tobago 31-12, pitching them into the final against the Pool B winners, which turned out to be Jamaica, albeit only on points differential after all three sides recorded one victory apiece.
The Cayman Islands beat tournament debutants Mexico 21-3 in the opening match, before Mexico bounced back to stun Jamaica with a narrow 3-0 victory. That left Jamaica needing to beat the hosts by at least 11 points, something they duly achieved with a 22-9 win.
