At the NAWIRA Sevens, in November, a few people were surprised to see that Mexico was represented. Here are the facts about Mexican Rugby:
BRIEF HISTORY
It was the 1920s when rugby was first played in Mexico - British miners and engineers in the Bajio. It didn't really catch on till 50 years later when some Franco-Mexicans, Anglo-Mexicans and Mexican-Mexicans decided to make two teams in 1971. Since then, rugby in Mexico has grown to an average of 22 regular teams. Rugby recently became an officially federated sport in Mexico and has gone on to achieve full IRB status in 2006. Mexico does not yet have an oficial IRB ranking.
According to the IRB:
Rugby in Mexico is on the Rise
Rugby in Mexico is enjoying a renaissance, the sport being discovered by a new generation of players after nearly dying out in an economic crisis more than a decade ago and that growth is now being fuelled by its inclusion in the Pan American Games programme.
The Mexican city of Guadalajara will host the Pan American Games in 2011 with Sevens as a participation sport, following an announcement by the Pan American Sports Organisation last week, and the impact on the country is already evident.
However the impact of this introduction will not only be confined within Mexico’s borders, but throughout the Americas region according to Miguel Carner, President of the Federacion Mexicana de Rugby.
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