North American & Caribbean Rugby (NACRA)

[Working Class Rugger Profile]

Mexico and Guyana will play the new Americas Challenge. But how will be the qualification for the 2019 Americas Challenge? Or maybe it will start like the ARC, with always the same teams?

Have the winner play off against the bottom placed of the two teams from that region. In this case being Mexico and Guyana and the winner of the Suda B (if not either Colobmia or Paraguay) do likewise. Not perfect but offers teams the opportunity.

[victorsra Profile Website]

- North Championship (Usa South, T&Tobago, Bermuda, Caymans)
- North Cup (Barbados, Jamaica)
- North Trophy (Curacao, Dominican Republic, Guadeloupe)
- Sudamericano Mayor A (Argentina, Uruguay, Chile, Brazil, Paraguay, Colombia)
- Sudamericano Mayor B ? (Peru, Venezuela, Costa Rica.. ?)
- Sudamericano Mayor C ? (Guatemala, Nicaragua, Panama.. ?)

Sudamericano A 2018 will have Argentina XV, Brazil XV, Uruguay XV, Chile XV (not awarding ranking points), Paraguay and Colombia.

Sudamericano B will have Peru, Venezuela, Costa Rica and Guatemala
Sudamericano C will have Nicaragua, Panama, Honduras and El Salvador.
Ecuador out.
It was anounced in 2017.

Have the winner play off against the bottom placed of the two teams from that region. In this case being Mexico and Guyana and the winner of the Suda B (if not either Colobmia or Paraguay) do likewise. Not perfect but offers teams the opportunity.

Probably. I don't remember to read anything about promotion from Sudamericano B to Sudamerica A anyway.

[Tobar Profile]

There are discussions to potentially allow promotion when the ARC contract is up in like 2 years. I don’t see any of the countries in ARC B rising higher in the rankings than Chile or Brazil to allow for promotion/relegation.

As for choosing the 2019 ARC B, it sounds like it’s based more off rankings than anything else. Since it’s 2 SA and 2 RAN I would imagine that promotion would be awarded to a team if they’re ranked higher.

[victorsra Profile Website]

Yes. The contract was 5 years. This means, the competition must be unchanged in terms of teams for 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019 and 2020. So I imagine 2020 is the season to have relegation/promotion.

[Canalina Profile]

Americas nations by population and their participation in the continental tournaments. SAM=SudAmericano Mayor; RAN=Rugby Americas North.
Ecuador, Cuba, Bolivia and Haiti, we need you!

[victorsra Profile Website]

I don't know what is happening in Ecuador. Probably major changes since they withdrew from the 2017 Sudamericano B.

[Tobar Profile]

Weren’t they almost kicked out?

[SallesNeto_BR Profile]

The Caribbean countries unhappily are too small. Do you think a West Indies team, like in cricket, could work well in rugby?

Just imagine a Guiana + T&T + Barbados + Cayman Islands + Bermuda + French Guyana side... It probably would do a great job in ARC B, or even A.

[TheStroBro Profile]

The Caribbean countries unhappily are too small. Do you think a West Indies team, like in cricket, could work well in rugby?

Just imagine a Guiana + T&T + Barbados + Cayman Islands + Bermuda + French Guyana side... It probably would do a great job in ARC B, or even A.

There has been a West Indies side for 7s in the past, the program doesn't seem to be consistent though.

[victorsra Profile Website]

Weren’t they almost kicked out?

Don't know. By 2015 they looked promising...

Guiana + T&T + Barbados + Cayman Islands + Bermuda + French Guyana

There has been a West Indies side for 7s in the past, the program doesn't seem to be consistent though.

AFAIK that West Indies rugby teams was only formed by former British colonies. Never heard of a sport that has French Caribbeans countries playing together with British Caribbeans countries....

[Canalina Profile]

I thought that also the central nations (the isthmus' ones) were too tiny to emerge, I didn't know they are so populated!
A part Belize, they all have at least 3.5 millions inhabitants. Guatemala 16 millions, five times the Uruguay population.
If they are still minnow in rugby it is not because of lack of people

[TheStroBro Profile]

Weren’t they almost kicked out?

Don't know. By 2015 they looked promising...

Guiana + T&T + Barbados + Cayman Islands + Bermuda + French Guyana

There has been a West Indies side for 7s in the past, the program doesn't seem to be consistent though.

AFAIK that West Indies rugby teams was only formed by former British colonies. Never heard of a sport that has French Caribbeans countries playing together with British Caribbeans countries....

This is Wiki, so take this for what you will: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/West_Indi ... evens_team

But they competed at Vegas in 2008 and Hong Kong in 2009. After that it looks like kaput, no facebook or website.

[Thomas Profile Website]

Weren’t they almost kicked out?

Don't know. By 2015 they looked promising...

Guiana + T&T + Barbados + Cayman Islands + Bermuda + French Guyana

There has been a West Indies side for 7s in the past, the program doesn't seem to be consistent though.

AFAIK that West Indies rugby teams was only formed by former British colonies. Never heard of a sport that has French Caribbeans countries playing together with British Caribbeans countries....

The West Indies Cricket comprises of the following nations and dependencies:

The current side represents:
Sovereign states
 Antigua and BarbudaL
 Barbados
 Dominica
 Grenada
 Guyana
 Jamaica
 Saint LuciaW
 Saint Vincent and the Grenadines
 Trinidad and Tobago
Parts of Saint Kitts and Nevis
 Saint KittsL
 NevisL
British Overseas Territories
 AnguillaL
 MontserratL
 British Virgin IslandsL
Constituent country of the Kingdom of the Netherlands
 Sint MaartenL
Territory of the United States
 US Virgin Islands

So it is not out of the realms of possibility we will see a proper Windies Rugby Team in the future. Martinique and Guadeloupe are members of the local cricket boards Windward and Leeward respectively.

[Thomas Profile Website]

Weren’t they almost kicked out?

Don't know. By 2015 they looked promising...

according to their Facebook page Ecuador is suspended from all international competition and currently the Sports Ministry has intervened in the federation.

[therugbycoach Profile]

I contacted Ecuador, recently about this very thing....as they looked a promising outfit at one time....

Sadly no one replied to me

El salvador dropped out last year something to do with not having enough teams ...and couldnt afford to travel to guatemala every week to play.... rumors are they may try and field a team this year

Nicaragua doesnt even play domestic 10s or 15s but begged to be allowed to play and turned up and had to play every game uncontested scrums.... the ex pro coach and experienced other coach in the country didnt get asked to help ..

[victorsra Profile Website]

So it is not out of the realms of possibility we will see a proper Windies Rugby Team in the future. Martinique and Guadeloupe are members of the local cricket boards Windward and Leeward respectively.

They can form a team, like the Lions or the Pacific Islanders. But there won't be an unified World Rugby member union. Remember the Arabian Gulf was split and they formed the UAE RU. The reason is simple: Olympics.

[TheStroBro Profile]

RAN Championships Schedule is out, notably missing are Mexico and Guyana whom will be competing in Americas Rugby Challenge.

https://rugbyamericasnorth.com/events/mens-15s/

[Canalina Profile]

Just a graphic resume by RAN

[grande Profile]

There was some good information from them in the Facebook comments: https://www.facebook.com/RugbyAmericasNorth/

1. "For the 2018 season, Guyana and Mexico are playing in the new Americas Rugby Challenge in August along with South American Rugby teams, Columbia and Paraguay. The second place finisher of the two RAN teams in the new competition will play the top team from the RAN 2018 Championship division, excluding USA South. The winner will compete in the 2019 Americas Rugby Challenge and the loser will play in the 2019 Men’s 15s RAN Championship division, and will assume the division rank held by the Championship team that contested the playoff. Home field advantage will be awarded to the Championship winning team."

2. "So as to ensure that all Members have the opportunity to play at least one senior men’s 15 a-side international match in 2018, Turks and Caicos will play the British Virgin Islands on May 12th in Providenciales and St. Vincent and The Grenadines will play and home match versus St. Lucia at a date to be confirmed."

[Tobar Profile]

I wonder if South America will also have a relegation playoff. The next best team is Venezuela and 20 rankings spots lower than Colombia, who beat them soundly last autumn. Their political crisis is unlikely to be helping out their situation much.

[victorsra Profile Website]

But there is Peru too that is or less in Venezuela's level.

[Tobar Profile]

Are they the next best team? I missed them on the rankings, they only had the abbreviations so I wasn’t 100% of all of them.

[victorsra Profile Website]

Peru and Venezuela have o close history, with advantage to Venezuela, but with Peru winning often. In the last 5 matches, Peru won in 2013 and 2015, Venezuela in 2014, 2016 and 2017. There is a considerable difference between them and the Central Americans...

PS: after the Top 30-40, forget the Ranking.

[Tobar Profile]

Yeah I don’t really pay much to rankings past 20 tbh but figured I might as well mention it

[victorsra Profile Website]

Between 20 and 30 it is fair enough. After the 30 it is random because those countries never play outside their continents and have few matches anyway.