New Jamaican Rugby League Association chairman Ventley Brown is confident the technical future of the sport in the Caribbean nation is in good hands through a partnership with GC Foster College, the Spanish Town institution focused on the drive towards professionalism in Jamaican sport.

One major aspect of this wide brief is the provision of highly qualified and trained technical staff in the field. Progress has been made in netball, athletics and football, with rugby league firmly on the agenda.

Speaking to the Jamaica Observer, Brown, 29, GC Foster College’s Athletics Director, said: “We believe that the associations should focus on the business and administrative side of their particular sport and leave the training of coaches and officials to the college."

The JRLA, under Brown’s leadership since his election in January, is aiming at making the college its technical hub, and is liaising with the RLEF to cement the relationship. The RLEF’s Technical Strategy, which is due to commence later this month with a seminar and course in London, will be attended by a JRLA delegation. Upon completion of the course the JRLA will have qualified coach and match official tutors and in charge of their own technical destiny.

"The college promotes well-rounded individuals to the extent that we also have more principals (15) and vice-principals; education officers, journalists and administrators in the local educational system," says Brown, who has a Masters in Physical Education. He plans to take that one step further, through the inclusion of rugby league higher education courses in the college.

“The future of rugby league on the island can only be secured through partnerships with entities such as GC Foster College and the Rugby League European Federation. Both institutions have played a vital role in our development to date, and with the pending Memorandum of Understanding to be penned with GC Foster and the RLEF's technical strategy that will be put in place, Jamaica's future in the game looks a whole lot brighter.”