Rugby union in Venezuela
Encyclopedia
Rugby union
is a team sport that is played in Venezuela
. It is not as popular as sports such as association football, baseball
, volleyball
or basketball
, but it is played at some universities throughout the country.
and CONSUR.
La Universidad Simón Bolívar (USB) was the cradle of Venezuelan rugby at university level. Later other people created clubs of rugby in other Venezuelan universities. These actions gave the Venezuelan rugby a major stimulus, especially with the involvement of native players and the possibility of having permanent headquarters. Luis Castro Leiva, a Venezuelan lecturer of the philosophy of history, was one of the main promoters of rugby at university. The Venezuelan rugby federation was created in 1992.
Currently, the majority of clubs in Venezuela come from the main Venezuelan universities. The Venezuelan rugby season is held from January to July. The matches are played on the weekend. The most important tournaments are The National Championship (in Caracas), the Walter Bishop tournament (in Mérida) and the Sevens tournament (in Santa Teresa, Aragua
state ).
The Venezuelan rugby federation is a member of the IRB
and the CONSUR in the South American area. Rugby is rarely practiced outside universities. The most popular sports of Venezuela are baseball, basketball and football.
Although Venezuela's women have not yet played test match rugby, they have been playing international sevens rugby
since 2004. (Current playing record).
Barquisimeto
Ciudad Guayana
Maracaibo
Maracay
Mérida
San Cristóbal
Valencia
Isla de Margarita
Mérida
Puerto Ordaz
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...
is a team sport that is played in Venezuela
Venezuela
Venezuela , officially called the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela , is a tropical country on the northern coast of South America. It borders Colombia to the west, Guyana to the east, and Brazil to the south...
. It is not as popular as sports such as association football, baseball
Baseball
Baseball is a bat-and-ball sport played between two teams of nine players each. The aim is to score runs by hitting a thrown ball with a bat and touching a series of four bases arranged at the corners of a ninety-foot diamond...
, volleyball
Volleyball
Volleyball is a team sport in which two teams of six players are separated by a net. Each team tries to score points by grounding a ball on the other team's court under organized rules.The complete rules are extensive...
or basketball
Basketball
Basketball is a team sport in which two teams of five players try to score points by throwing or "shooting" a ball through the top of a basketball hoop while following a set of rules...
, but it is played at some universities throughout the country.
Governing body
The governing body is the Federación Venezolana de Rugby, which was founded in 1992, and which is affiliated to the International Rugby BoardInternational Rugby Board
The International Rugby Board is the governing body for the sport of rugby union. It was founded in 1886 as the International Rugby Football Board by the unions of Scotland, Wales and Ireland. England refused to join until 1890. The International Rugby Football Board changed its name to the...
and CONSUR.
History
The history of rugby in Venezuela goes back to the fifties of the last century. When a group of English oil workers played the first match in Zulia state. However the real birth of rugby in Venezuela was around the sixties. Some Frenchmen, who lived in Caracas, created along with some Argentines and Uruguayans two clubs: Martell and Renault. Martell and Renault played the first organized match in Caracas. Later the two clubs mixed together to form a new one: the Rugby Club of Caracas (RCC). Another club, Anaucos Rugby Club, was founded by a group of Argentines and Uruguayans. The first championship was organised in 1976 and the Rugby Club of Caracas was the winner.La Universidad Simón Bolívar (USB) was the cradle of Venezuelan rugby at university level. Later other people created clubs of rugby in other Venezuelan universities. These actions gave the Venezuelan rugby a major stimulus, especially with the involvement of native players and the possibility of having permanent headquarters. Luis Castro Leiva, a Venezuelan lecturer of the philosophy of history, was one of the main promoters of rugby at university. The Venezuelan rugby federation was created in 1992.
Current events
At the beginning, rugby union was considered as an elitist sport in Venezuela because of the expenses. Players had to fund themselves in the terms of uniforms, gear, travel costs, etc. Recently the Venezuelan "National Institute of Sport" (IND) has given big financial support to the practice of this sport. On the other hand private companies like Empresas Polar, Ron Santa Teresa, Xerox, Zenda, CATIVEN, Gatorade, Sincor, G3, Price Waterhouse now offer sponsorship to the clubs.Currently, the majority of clubs in Venezuela come from the main Venezuelan universities. The Venezuelan rugby season is held from January to July. The matches are played on the weekend. The most important tournaments are The National Championship (in Caracas), the Walter Bishop tournament (in Mérida) and the Sevens tournament (in Santa Teresa, Aragua
Aragua (state)
Aragua State is located in the north-central region of Venezuela. It has plains and jungles and Caribbean beaches. The most popular are Cata and Choroni...
state ).
The Venezuelan rugby federation is a member of the IRB
International Rugby Board
The International Rugby Board is the governing body for the sport of rugby union. It was founded in 1886 as the International Rugby Football Board by the unions of Scotland, Wales and Ireland. England refused to join until 1890. The International Rugby Football Board changed its name to the...
and the CONSUR in the South American area. Rugby is rarely practiced outside universities. The most popular sports of Venezuela are baseball, basketball and football.
Although Venezuela's women have not yet played test match rugby, they have been playing international sevens rugby
Women's International Rugby Union Sevens
Rugby Union Sevens - a short form of the sport of rugby union - was first played in 1883, with the first internationals taking place in 1973...
since 2004. (Current playing record).
Men's clubs
CaracasCaracas
Caracas , officially Santiago de León de Caracas, is the capital and largest city of Venezuela; natives or residents are known as Caraquenians in English . It is located in the northern part of the country, following the contours of the narrow Caracas Valley on the Venezuelan coastal mountain range...
- Academia Militar de Venezuela (AMV), founded in 1975
- Anaucos Rugby Club, founded in 1974
- Caracas Exiles, founded in 1996
- Hebraica Bulldogs, founded in 1994
- OSOS Rugby Club, founded in 1984
- Payaras R.C. (Colegio Los Arcos), founded in 1995
- Rugby Club Caracas (RCC), founded in 1974
- Universidad Católica Andrés Bello (UCAB), founded in 1992
- Universidad Central de Venezuela (UCV), founded in 1992
- Celtas Rugby Club, founded in 1998
- Universidad Metropolitana (CRUM), founded in 1990
- Espartanos Rugby Club (Univ. Nueva Esparta), founded in 1995
- Universidad Simón Bolívar (USB), founded in 1974
- Unexpo Rugby Club Caracas founded in 1999
Barquisimeto
Barquisimeto
Barquisimeto is the capital city of the State of Lara located in west central Venezuela, halfway between Caracas and Maracaibo on the Turbio River.-Overview:...
- Universidad Centro Occidental (UCLA)
Ciudad Guayana
Ciudad Guayana
Ciudad Guayana is a city in Bolívar State, Venezuela. It lies south of the Orinoco, where the river is joined by the Caroní River. The city, officially founded in 1961, is actually composed of the old town of San Félix at the east and the new town of Puerto Ordaz at the west, which lie either...
- Albatros Rugby Club
- Dorados Rugby Club, founded in 1996
- Nomadas Rugby Club
- Panteras Rugby Club, founded in 2009
- UNEXPO Rugby Club, founded in 2002
Maracaibo
Maracaibo
Maracaibo is a city and municipality located in northwestern Venezuela off the western coast of the Lake Maracaibo. It is the second-largest city in the country after the national capital Caracas and the capital of Zulia state...
- Maracaibo Rugby Football Club "Oil Blacks"
- Zulianos Rugby Club
Maracay
Maracay
Maracay is a city in north-central Venezuela, near the Caribbean coast, and is the capital and most important city of the state of Aragua. Most of it falls under the jurisdiction of the Girardot Municipality. The population as per the 2001 census was 750,000...
- Araguaney Rugby Club
- Frailes Rugby Club
Mérida
- Club De Rugby Caballeros De Mérida, founded in 1995
- Mérida Rugby Club
- IUTE Rugby Club
San Cristóbal
San Cristóbal, Táchira
San Cristóbal is the capital city of the Venezuelan state of Táchira. It is located in a mountainous region of Western Venezuela. The city is situated 818 m/2,625 ft above sea level in the northern Andes overlooking the Torbes River, 56 km/35 mi from the Colombian border. San...
- Universidad del Táchira UNETRC
Valencia
- Valencia Rugby Club
Isla de Margarita
- Esparta Rugby Club
- Club de Rugby Unimar
Winners of the Venezuelan Championship (1999-2010)
- 1999 Universidad Metropolitana
- 2000 Arcos Rugby Club
- 2001 Universidad Metropolitana
- 2002 Arcos Rugby Club
- 2003 Arcos Rugby Club
- 2004 Arcos Rugby Club
- 2005 Arcos Rugby Club
- 2006 Club de Rugby Caballeros de Merida
- 2007 Arcos Rugby Club
- 2008 Club de Rugby Caballeros de Merida
- 2009 Maracaibo Rugby Football Club
- 2010 Club de Rugby Caballeros de Merida
Women’s clubs
Caracas- Ángeles CRUM, founded in 1994
- Leónidas (Universidad de Nueva Esparta)
- Universidad Católica Andrés Bello (UCAB)
- Universidad Central de Venezuela (UCV)
- Universidad Metropolitana (CRUM)
- Amazonas Universidad Simón Bolívar (USB)
Mérida
- Espartanas
Puerto Ordaz
- [Ateneas]http://www.ateneasrugby.9f.com
External links
- IRB Venezuela page
- (in Spanish)
- “Rugby in Venezuela: A sport to grow”, the Daily Journal, (Caracas) 20 November, 2004.
- (in Spanish)
- Rugby Caracas Archives du Rugby: Venezuela
- Rugby Caracas