their cricket.

With the national sport currently in a major slump, there would seem no better time to boost the profile of their fledgling rugby union game.

The Windies are currently in Hong Kong at the world's most prestigious Sevens tournament, where they are rubbing shoulders with the likes of Fiji, New Zealand, England and Australia.

Their opening game against the Fijians ended in a 47-0 defeat, but in a game where scores of 80-0 are not uncommon the final result can be viewed as a landmark achievement.

The team, featuring Bermuda's Bobby Hurdle, Jon Cassidy and Scott McGavern, have been mobbed wherever they have gone since they arrived in Kowloon earlier this week, with interviewers keen to hear just where they want to take the game.

In an interview with the South China Morning Post , Bermuda-based West Indies manager, John L. Williams spoke like a missionary for the region.

"We want to tell the world that there is a team called the Windies in rugby too,'' he said. "We want to become as famous as the cricketers.'' The Windies, who have been given the Reggae Boyz tag more normally associated with Jamaica's national soccer team, play Wales and Russia today as they complete their first-phase schedule.

And coach Mark Hewitt is confident when the tournament is reviewed there will be no negatives, just positives to be taken from it.

"I think they'll cope quite well,'' he told the Post . "I think we might be a bit intimidated but we are here to compete.

"Our realistic goal is to be competitive and earn a little respect. If we can do that then we might just create an upset along the way.''