Pink making his mark at scrum half

Carl Spence, Gleaner Writer

The name Storm Pink may not have the most resounding effect in Jamaica's sporting circles as national youth ambassadors like track and field's Dexter Lee or football's Keammar Daley, but the Canada-based Jamaican has been as effective a flag-bearer as any of them.

In a sport that is not as popular as track and field, football or cricket, Pink used rugby to muscle his way into the Jamaican spotlight and award Jamaica international rugby exposure.

The feat was achieved through his Under-19 team's historic qualification to the Youth Rugby World Cup, after they defeated Guyana 4-1 on penalties in the Caribbean Championship to capture the NAWIRA title for the second straight year.

There is no doubting Pink's pivotal role in Jamaica's berth in the 2008 games as he scored one of the team's two tries to leave the decisive game against Guyana level at 14-14 at the end of regular time. Jamaica eventually won 4-1 on penalties.

Interests

The scrum half was born and raised in the small community of Ingoside, Mandeville, for 13 of his 19 years to parents Richard and Carol Pink.

At age 13, Pink migrated to Canada to attend Trinity College School - a boarding high school in Toronto - for four years. Pink noted that he developed an interest for the sport while at his boarding school in Canada. Alongside rugby, Pink also admitted an interest in American football and swimming, but states he chose rugby because it causes him to think.

"It's a thinking game, it's not as straightforward as football (American football) and it's fast paced. In rugby, one right move can change everything and cause you to score tries. You always have to think and strategise to see what the opponents play and do," he stated.

Pink became a member of the Jamaican youth team on is trip back to Jamaica in 2005 after he graduated from high school. Lying idle around at his Mandeville home and doing odd jobs for his father's engineering business, never seemed fulfilling for Pink, so he searched the directory for the Jamaica Rugby Union and got involved with Jamaica's rugby.

In addition to his national duties, Storm also plays rugby for Wilfred Laurier University in Waterloo, Canada, where he is currently enrolled as a sophomore. In his first year with the university, his team qualified for the play-off of its province with Pink playing as the team's scrum half (quarterback in American football).

Obligations

When asked about his obligations, Pink explained that he plays for his school during the fall semester and usually makes frequent trips back to Jamaica on each school break to train with the national team.

"From what I see of the rugby I play in Canada, the players are better coached so they know more about the game, but we have better skills. We (Jamaicans) probably have more talent than they do, it's just their experience and knowledge of the game that's better," Pink noted in trying compare the rugby he plays in Canada to that of Jamaica.

The nationalist expressed much delight for his role in the country's qualification to the Youth World Cup, noting that he was with the team just under a year. He further stated that his team will be in a mood to upset when they leave for Nigeria or France next summer.

"There are a lot of teams that will come out not expecting us to play as well as we will, but we are going to shock a few people. To tell you the truth, I don't think we will win it but I think we are going to shock a few teams," Pink said.