Rugby union in Mexico
Encyclopedia
Rugby union
in Mexico
is a minor but growing sport.
Walter Irvine founded "Unión Mexicana de Rugby A.C." in 1973 to organise and develop rugby union in Mexico. The “UMR” was the body directing Mexican rugby union until October 2003 when the Federación Mexicana de Rugby (FMR) was founded. In November of that year the FMR was made an associate member of the International Rugby Board. Mexico could thus take part in competitions organised by the supreme authority of rugby on a world level. The FMRU organises rugby in the country: a championship takes place at the highest level in the country, and in the same way organises a championships for youth, veterans and women.
Rugby in Mexico is purely amateur, lacking structure and funding. There is no Rugby culture and even a regional or local solid foundation.
At the beginning of 2007, the Mexican Olympic committee recognized the FMR as an affiliate member. The federation of Mexico is a fully affiliated member of the IRB, although still unranked.
Their first official test match, in March 2008, was a 47-7 victory over Saint Vincent and the Grenadines national team in Rugby World Cup 2011 qualifying. They were eliminated in the quarter-finals by Barbados, by a score of 21-20. Their overall record however was 2-2, finishing 6th place in Round 1A of the Americas qualification zone after defeating hosts the Cayman Islands 13-6 then losing 23-17 to the Bahamas.
The Mexican sevens team occasionally competes in IRB World Sevens Series tournaments..
The Major League championship of 2006-7 had the following eleven teams competing:
Rugby union
Rugby union, often simply referred to as rugby, is a full contact team sport which originated in England in the early 19th century. One of the two codes of rugby football, it is based on running with the ball in hand...
in Mexico
Mexico
The United Mexican States , commonly known as Mexico , is a federal constitutional republic in North America. It is bordered on the north by the United States; on the south and west by the Pacific Ocean; on the southeast by Guatemala, Belize, and the Caribbean Sea; and on the east by the Gulf of...
is a minor but growing sport.
Governing body
The Mexican Federation of Rugby Union (Federación Mexicana de Rugby (FMR)) is the body directing rugby union in Mexico. It has the responsibility of organising and developing rugby in the country.History
Rugby union was introduced in Mexico for the first time around 1930 by British oil workers. The teams were essentially made up of foreign players. Following the nationalisation of the Mexican oil industry the British left the country and rugby disappeared. In 1971 another Briton, Mr. Walter Irvine, again introduced rugby into the Reformed Athletic Club, an association of British origin.Walter Irvine founded "Unión Mexicana de Rugby A.C." in 1973 to organise and develop rugby union in Mexico. The “UMR” was the body directing Mexican rugby union until October 2003 when the Federación Mexicana de Rugby (FMR) was founded. In November of that year the FMR was made an associate member of the International Rugby Board. Mexico could thus take part in competitions organised by the supreme authority of rugby on a world level. The FMRU organises rugby in the country: a championship takes place at the highest level in the country, and in the same way organises a championships for youth, veterans and women.
Rugby in Mexico is purely amateur, lacking structure and funding. There is no Rugby culture and even a regional or local solid foundation.
At the beginning of 2007, the Mexican Olympic committee recognized the FMR as an affiliate member. The federation of Mexico is a fully affiliated member of the IRB, although still unranked.
National team
On October the 25th 2007, the Mexican national rugby union team, nicknamed ´Los Serpientes´ (The Snakes), played three unofficial matches, winning one, losing one and drawing the other. The IRB did not recognise these meetings as the administrative checks to ensure that the players were eligible to represent Mexico were not made.Their first official test match, in March 2008, was a 47-7 victory over Saint Vincent and the Grenadines national team in Rugby World Cup 2011 qualifying. They were eliminated in the quarter-finals by Barbados, by a score of 21-20. Their overall record however was 2-2, finishing 6th place in Round 1A of the Americas qualification zone after defeating hosts the Cayman Islands 13-6 then losing 23-17 to the Bahamas.
The Mexican sevens team occasionally competes in IRB World Sevens Series tournaments..
Competitions and popularity
Rugby in Mexico comprises 800 players and twenty clubs.The Major League championship of 2006-7 had the following eleven teams competing:
- Abejas of Universidad de GuanajuatoUniversidad de GuanajuatoThe Universidad de Guanajuato is a university based in the Mexican state of Guanajuato, made up of about 33,828 students in programs ranging from high school level to the doctorate level. Over 17,046 of those are pursuing undergraduate, masters, and doctorate degrees...
(Guanajuato) - Celaya Rugby Club (Celaya)
- Cumiyais Rugby Club (Monterrey)
- Demonios Rugby Club (Distrito Federal)
- Dragones Rugby Club (Guanajuato)
- Fox Rugby Club (Distrito Federal)
- Miquiztli Rugby Club (Distrito Federal)
- AztecasAztecasAztecas de la UDLAP is the name which receive the representative teams of the Mexican University, the Universidad de las Américas Puebla of which the most important and famous is a collegiate American football squad...
Rugby Club (Puebla) - Rhinos Rugby Club (Guadalajara)
- Tazmania Rugby Club (Distrito Federal)
- Wallabies Rugby Club (Distrito Federal))
- Hammerheads (Cancún)
- Gansos Salvajes Tomás Moro (Distrito Federal)
World Cup Record
- Mexico national rugby union teamMexico national rugby union teamThe Mexican national rugby union team represents Mexico in international rugby union competitions. Their first official test match, in March 2008, was a 47-7 victory over Saint Vincent and the Grenadines national rugby union team in Rugby World Cup qualifying....
- World cup
- 1987: not invited
- 1991: did not enter qualification
- 1995: did not enter qualification
- 1999: did not enter qualification
- 2003: did not enter qualification
- 2007: did not enter qualification