London Daily

Focus on the big picture.
Friday, Oct 03, 2025

National rugby player in need of heart surgery

National rugby player in need of heart surgery

The British Virgin Islands Rugby Football Union (RFU) has collaborated with Castaway CrossFit to host a fundraiser event aimed at raising $15,000 for a local national rugby player who is in urgent need of heart surgery.

Kenrick ‘Jimmy’ Thomas who is a former student of the Elmore Stoutt High School recently received a medical diagnosis that he has a hole in the septum between his heart’s lower or upper chambers. This is called a Ventricular or Atrial Septal Defect.

Speaking to BVI News in a recent interview, Head Coach of the Rugby Football Union James Vaughan Turner said approximately $10,000 has already been raised, but he is calling on residents to continue supporting the cause to ensure Thomas receives his surgery which must be conducted off-island.

“Jimmy has a great number of friends and we are all trying our best to assist him. The BVI’s NHI will cover part of his medical costs but not all. He needs to raise between $15,000 to $20,000 in order to cover the costs of the operation. He is planning on having the operation in Puerto Rico,” Coach Turner said.

He added: “Jimmy is in good spirits, he has been raising money for his operation. Being unable to continue any training or sport has had a doubly negative impact for Jimmy. Coupled with having to learn of, and deal with his condition during the COVID-19 pandemic, it has been very difficult for him but his motivation to succeed has helped him to push forward and strive forward.”

Teammates remain positive


Coach Turner said the news of Thomas’ diagnosis had his teammates initially concerned, but said their brotherhood mentality has helped to keep the entire team positive during this period.

“Jimmy is an important member of the team and when his team mates heard the news of his condition, they were shocked and concerned for his health. In rugby we have values and a culture and when one of our players is in need, we all come together to help each other out. Rugby is very special, it brings people together from all different cultures and backgrounds as one big family,” he explained.

Thomas is a gifted talent


The head coach further pointed to the many achievements of the 23-year-old Thomas, who has been successful during his tenure representing the national team.

“He has represented the BVI national rugby teams on numerous occasions in 7s and 15s rugby and has literally bled for the BVI in certain games, including losing a piece of his ear whilst playing for the BVI National Men’s 15’s rugby team against Barbados,” the coach stated.

“He has won several awards in rugby, such as the most valuable player for the under 19 tournaments in 2014 in Trinidad and the most improved player twice in 2017 and 2019. He captained his secondary school in a two-year undefeated streak. Jimmy has also been a very keen practitioner of Castaway CrossFit in the BVI,” he added.

Beach Rugby Fundraiser event


The fundraiser which is slated for the Brandywine Bay beach will consist of three categories of events of beach rugby which will all have teams of six players each.

These will include Senior Men’s Tackle with an entry fee of $200 per squad, Under-18 Men’s Tackle with an entry fee of $100, and Mixed Touch Rugby with an entry fee of $200.

The event will run from 9 am to 5 pm on Sunday November 22.

Newsletter

Related Articles

0:00
0:00
Close
Trump Administration Launches “TrumpRx” Plan to Enable Direct Drug Sales at Deep Discounts
Trump Announces Intention to Impose 100 Percent Tariff on Foreign-Made Films
Altman Says GPT-5 Already Outpaces Him, Warns AI Could Automate 40% of Work
Singapore and Hong Kong Vie to Dominate Asia’s Rising Gold Trade
Trump Organization Teams with Saudi Developer on $1 Billion Trump Plaza in Jeddah
Manhattan Sees Surge in Office-to-Housing Conversions, Highest Since 2008
Switzerland and U.S. Issue Joint Assurance Against Currency Manipulation
Electronic Arts to Be Taken Private in Historic $55 Billion Buyout
Thomas Jacob Sanford Named as Suspect in Deadly Michigan Church Shooting and Arson
Russian Research Vessel 'Yantar' Tracked Mapping Europe’s Subsea Cables, Raising Security Alarms
New York Man Arrested After On-Air Confession to 2017 Parents’ Murders
U.S. Defense Chief Orders Sudden Summit of Hundreds of Generals and Admirals
Global Cruise Industry Posts Dramatic Comeback with 34.6 Million Passengers in 2024
Trump Claims FBI Planted 274 Agents at Capitol Riot, Citing Unverified Reports
India: Internet Suspended in Bareilly Amid Communal Clashes Between Muslims and Hindus
Supreme Court Extends Freeze on Nearly $5 Billion in U.S. Foreign Aid at Trump’s Request
Archaeologists Recover Statues and Temples from 2,000-Year-Old Sunken City off Alexandria
China Deploys 2,000 Workers to Spain to Build Major EV Battery Factory, Raising European Dependence
Speed Takes Over: How Drive-Through Coffee Chains Are Rewriting U.S. Coffee Culture
U.S. Demands Brussels Scrutinize Digital Rules to Prevent Bias Against American Tech
Ringo Starr Champions Enduring Beatles Legacy While Debuting Las Vegas Art Show
Private Equity’s Fundraising Surge Triggers Concern of European Market Shake-Out
Colombian President Petro Vows to Mobilize Volunteers for Gaza and Joins List of Fighters
FBI Removes Agents Who Kneeled at 2020 Protest, Citing Breach of Professional Conduct
Trump Alleges ‘Triple Sabotage’ at United Nations After Escalator and Teleprompter Failures
Shock in France: 5 Years in Prison for Former President Nicolas Sarkozy
Tokyo’s Jimbōchō Named World’s Coolest Neighbourhood for 2025
European Officials Fear Trump May Shift Blame for Ukraine War onto EU
BNP Paribas Abandons Ban on 'Controversial Weapons' Financing Amid Europe’s Defence Push
Typhoon Ragasa Leaves Trail of Destruction Across East Asia Before Making Landfall in China
The Personality Rights Challenge in India’s AI Era
Big Banks Rebuild in Hong Kong as Deal Volume Surges
Italy Considers Freezing Retirement Age at 67 to Avert Scheduled Hike
Italian City to Impose Tax on Visiting Dogs Starting in 2026
Arnault Denounces Proposed Wealth Tax as Threat to French Economy
Study Finds No Safe Level of Alcohol for Dementia Risk
Denmark Investigates Drone Incursion, Does Not Rule Out Russian Involvement
Lilly CEO Warns UK Is ‘Worst Country in Europe’ for Drug Prices, Pulls Back Investment
Nigel Farage Emerges as Central Force in British Politics with Reform UK Surge
Disney Reinstates ‘Jimmy Kimmel Live!’ after Six-Day Suspension over Charlie Kirk Comments
U.S. Prosecutors Move to Break Up Google’s Advertising Monopoly
Nvidia Pledges Up to $100 Billion Investment in OpenAI to Power Massive AI Data Center Build-Out
U.S. Signals ‘Large and Forceful’ Support for Argentina Amid Market Turmoil
Nvidia and Abu Dhabi’s TII Launch First AI-&-Robotics Lab in the Middle East
Vietnam Faces Up to $25 Billion Export Loss as U.S. Tariffs Bite
Europe Signals Stronger Support for Taiwan at Major Taipei Defence Show
Indonesia Court Upholds Military Law Amid Concerns Over Expanded Civilian Role
Larry Ellison, Michael Dell and Rupert Murdoch Join Trump-Backed Bid to Take Over TikTok
Trump and Musk Reunite Publicly for First Time Since Fallout at Kirk Memorial
Vietnam Closes 86 Million Untouched Bank Accounts Over Biometric ID Rules
×