rugby series involving the West Indies, the USA and Canada.

The competition, which is likely to be held annually from next year, is being designed to boost the level of the game in this part of the world.

Peter Borland, the Bermuda-based president of the West Indies Rugby Football Union, said: "What will happen next year is the USA, Canada and West Indies will play each other as sort of a North American tournament. That will be sometime in the Spring of 2002.

"There will be one home game and one away game. So there will be one game within the West Indies in which the West Indies will play either USA or Canada, it hasn't been determined yet.'' Borland went on: "We have asked our regional members to put forward a proposal, firstly stating whether they would like to host the game. We would then have to make a decision based on certain criteria.

"I believe, although I haven't received anything in writing, that Bermuda are certainly considering it.

"I am also led to believe this is also going to be an annual affair and so that `home' international would not stay in one place, we would spread it around.'' The tournament would be the latest in a gradual cranking up of the West Indies rugby union machine, which has seen the team compete in the prestigious Hong Kong Sevens event and be invited to play in the forthcoming English and Welsh legs of the World Sevens Series.

"Over the past 18 months or so the North American grouping of the International Rugby Board formed NAWIRA (North American and West Indies Rugby Association), consisting of the USA, Canada and the West Indies,'' explained Borland.

"They wished to develop the game within the region and this is obviously one of the ways we can do that. I think that the USA and Canada felt they had let the development slip and they do feel they should assist in playing someone like the West Indies to raise the game a little bit.'' Meanwhile, moves are afoot to introduce another tournament that will determine which nation from the region goes to the Rugby World Cup in Australia in 2003.

"It has not been determined yet, and it is getting a little bit late in the day, whether the West Indies could have a tournament in the region similar to our own Caribbean Championships,'' said Borland.

"The winner would then proceed and play the winners of a similar tournament within the South American lesser countries, such as the Perus and the Brazils.

The winner of that would then go into a group containing the likes of Chile and Uruguay.'' Borland said although a number of matters had to be resolved the event was expected to take place towards the end of the year.

"We have put forward a budget for doing that, and though we still haven't received the green light on it, it would be held probably in October or November this year,'' he said. "Again the location still has not been determined but at least four of our member nations have stated they would like to host that championship based upon some criteria we have laid out.''