North American & Caribbean Rugby (NACRA)

[TheStroBro Profile]

To the American cousins in this forum.
Does anyone know about Borderland United Rugby Club?

A recent press release states they are fully professional and is made up of players from Ciudad Juarez and across the border in El Paso.

The club will be playing against US and Mexico teams. Any additional information?

Can you link the press release? Supposedly they're playing the El Paso Scorpions next week per their facebook (On the USA Rugby public roster they only have two members for this season). I don't know how they could be fully professional especially in that area. I spent three years playing Rugby in El Paso with both the Scorpions and the Bliss Warriors. Senior Rugby in the Rio Grande Rugby Union is in a rough place, at one point we had 8 teams. There are now 4. Borderland United says they have players from the US side of the border, that has to be a PITA to get to training.

Last year UTEP and The Scorpions played a friendly against another Juarez club, I think it was the Guerreros. Rugby in the Borderland is in such a weird place right now, it has had a long Senior presence but that is falling apart. But the youth scene is rapidly expanding, there's now a girls program in EP. UTEP Men have been very stable since restarting the program. This is the first season for UTEP women.

Border is a club playing in the Northeast Division of the 15s Comp in Mexico.

ETA: It was Los Gallos, not Los Guerreros.

I think from memory StroBro mentioned either here or on r/mlr that the Legion are working with a Mexican group in some capacity that are looking at MLR in the future. But from memory that's based around Tijuana. This group is more Texan oriented.

Currently Los Xolos (The Soccer Club) are working with SD Legion to expand youth rugby in San Diego and in Tijuana. They're also very interested in MLR, or at least were. But the overt partnership with SD last season was something new to me.

[Thomas Profile]

Here's the link that I found

https://www.periodicoelmexicano.com.mx/deportes/juarez-y-el-paso-ya-tienen-equipo-profesional-de-rugby-4424418.html

[TheStroBro Profile]

Thanks. I have no idea why it's saying they're playing "professional" rugby. I noticed a bunch of former teammates on that list, it sounds like Los Gallos and Scorpions merged...gosh that's gonna be painful. Travel in that division is just as bad as the RGRU. Scorpions were a Division 3 club.

[mcruic Profile]

Does it mean Bermuda vs Cayman for a Americas Challenge spot?

Did anyone ever answer this question?

Last year, the play-off was in February, can we expect a Bermuda v Cayman Islands match next month?

[Canalina Profile]

If someone of the forum american members is interested...

https://rugbyamericasnorth.com/rugby-am ... rytellers/

[mcruic Profile]

For 2020:

RAN XVs North:
Cayman Islands
Bermuda
Winner Jamaica/Bahamas

RAN XVs South
?
?
?

Winners of RAN XVs North/South play-off will play in the 2020 Americas Challenge.

[victorsra Profile Website]

This means no space for Peru, Venezuela or Costa Rica in the Challenge... Realy bizarre...

[mcruic Profile]

I believe they want to have 2 South American and 2 North American teams in the Americas Challenge. If either Colombia or Paraguay finished 4th in the challenge (which seems very unlikely), they might have a promotion/relegation match involving a South American team.

So, it should be Cayman, Bermuda or Trinidad & Tobago in the Americas Challenge this year.

Caymans said they were still trying to work out dates for the match against Bermuda, but it should be 20th June. As for the other match (against the winner of Jamaica/Bahamas), this date has not been decided. Jamaica v Bahamas itself should be held sometime before June, but I don't know when...

No news at all about the composition of the South Group, or of any lower groups. Trinidad & Tobago did not play last year, but I believe they will play this year - but will they have to start from the bottom?

Possible lineup for 2020:

NORTH CHAMPIONSHIP
Cayman Islands
Bermuda
Winner Jamaica/Bahamas

NORTH CUP
Loser Jamaica/Bahamas
Turks & Caicos Islands (TCI play BVI on 21st March at home)
Dominican Republic
British Virgin Islands

SOUTH CHAMPIONSHIP
Guadeloupe
Guyana
Winner Trinidad & Tobago/Martinique

SOUTH CUP
Loser Trinidad & Tobago/Martinique
Barbados
Curaçao

UNKNOWN
Saint Lucia
Saint Vincent & the Grenadines
French Guiana
Belize

[victorsra Profile Website]

But isn't the 2020 Challenge a RWC Qualy tournament?

[Canalina Profile]

All the 2020 XV RAN games (RWC qualifiers) have been postponed to 2021
RAN 7s remains at the moment fixed for november, but waiting for updates and for a still not known venue

https://rugbyamericasnorth.com/ran-inte ... -pandemic/

[victorsra Profile Website]

http://www.granma.cu/cuba-covid-19/2020 ... extranjera

COVID-19 made Cuban rugby to suspend a Copa Amistad Cuba-Australia (Friendship Cup Cuba-Australia). I wonder what would it be, but interesting.

[Canalina Profile]

Usa South should have played a test in Colombia in July, but the pandemic cancelled the tour. The test is anyway not abandoned, the two federations await for more favorable times
Source of the news is the Usa South fb page

[Canalina Profile]

Just a nice illustration from the RAN return-to-play video...

[victorsra Profile Website]

Cayman Islands sponsoring London Irish https://www.london-irish.com/news/cayma ... er/bp2665/

[Thomas Profile]

After 10 years Nicaragua Rugby Federation finally officially recognized by the national sports institute

[victorsra Profile Website]

So Nicaragua's Rugby Union is now in peace?

But they are part of Sudamerica Rugby...

[Thomas Profile]

So Nicaragua's Rugby Union is now in peace?

But they are part of Sudamerica Rugby...

Yes there is Peace and official recognition. I am aware they are in Sudamerica Rugby but it was the first thread I saw at that time of the morning.

Hadn't had the coffee

[victorsra Profile Website]

Good news. Now let's see is Ecuador comes back from chaos.

[Canalina Profile]

Nice. From Mexican federation

[ficcp Profile]

Mexico had 12.000 Rugby players in 2015, they should be more now. American Football has currently 75.000 players but thanks to the media difusion and broadcasting of NFL, the estimate of fans is 10 millions¡¡¡ There is an interesting growth potential for Rugby in which concerns fans and players. I would like to know the opinion of a mexican poster about the Development of Rugby in Mexico.

[Thomas Profile]

Nice. From Mexican federation

You can order it on line and they will send you by DHL!

[Thomas Profile]

Can also order from Honduras

[Hernan14 Profile]

Have read many times on this Forum that N.AM and S.AM should UNITE in RUGBY

Last Friday exactly the opposite was discussed by HANDBALL top guns --
they are splitting single AMERICAN CONFEDERATION into North and South

:::

And to finish the joke that South America overwhelms North America in Handball, both in male and female, both in seniors and youth, despite the fact that the CAS ruled against the IHF ... the latter classified the USA by decree to the World Cup in Egypt