Mexico national rugby union team

Mexico

Nickname(s)	Serpientes (Snakes)
Union	Federación Mexicana de Rugby
Head coach	Rubén Duque
Captain	Mizael "Manitas" Loredo
First colours Second colours
World Rugby ranking
Current	51 (as of 16 January 2023)
Highest	42 (14 August 2021)
First international
Mexico 18–22 Cayman Islands  (1985)
Biggest win
Mexico 105–7 Cayman Islands  (31 August 2019)
Biggest defeat
Brazil 76–5 Mexico  (20 April 2013)
World Cup
Appearances	0

The Mexico national rugby union team (Spanish: Selección nacional de rugby Mexico) represents Mexico men's international rugby union competitions, they entered the World Rugby Rankings in March 2012, ranked initially in joint 71st place with other new entrants Pakistan and the Philippines.

Mexico is one of the newest members of World Rugby, having only been participating consistently in international rugby since the late 2000s; before, the 6 games, including 2 that are not capped by the FMR. Mexico also fields a rugby sevens team, as well as female teams in both the main union game and the 7s.

The national side is ranked 42nd in the world (as of August 2021).^[1]

History

Mexico played only four test matches before 2008. The National Team played Miami Rugby in November 1977.^[2] Mexico's first test match was in 1985, an 18–22 loss against the Cayman Islands. This match was followed by 2 games against Colombia in 1996 (a 46-12 victory and a 10-10 draw), and two losses in 2001 and 2002 against Cayman Islands.^[3]

2011 RWC qualifying

Mexico's first official test match, and first participation in Rugby World Cup qualifying, was in March 2008. In that match, Mexico secured a 47-7 victory over Saint Vincent and the Grenadines in 2011 Rugby World Cup qualifying. Mexico's record in qualifying was 2-2, finishing 6th place in Round 1A of the Americas qualification zone.

2015 RWC qualifying

A record crowd for a rugby match in Mexico saw the home team dispatch Jamaica 68–14 in Mexico City in front of more than 2,000 vociferous fans at the Universidad Iberoamericana. This match opened their NACRA Caribbean Championship account,^[4] and also doubled as the opening Rugby World Cup 2015 qualification match. However, Mexico lost its next qualifying match 13–46 against the Cayman Islands, ending its 2015 Rugby World Cup qualifying campaign.

2019 RWC qualifying

Mexico played qualifying matches for the 2019 World Cup during 2016. They won all three of their first-round Americas North (North Zone) group stage games (against the Cayman Islands, Bermuda, and The Bahamas), and also won the first round final against South Zone winners, Guyana. As such, they were named champions of the 2016 Rugby Americas North Championship.

From here, they progressed to a one-off play-off game against the 2016 CONSUR "B" Rugby Championship, Colombia, which they lost 29-11, ending Mexico's qualifying campaign.

Rankings

Record by opponent

Updated to 11 December 2021.

Team	Mat	Won	Lost	Draw	%	For	Aga	Diff
Arizona State Sun Devils	1	1	0	0	100.00%	30	23	+7
Bahamas	4	2	2	0	50%	101	61	+40
Barbados	1	0	1	0	0%	20	21	–1
Bermuda	2	1	1	0	50%	63	35	+28
Brazil	2	0	2	0	0%	19	126	–107
Cayman Islands	10	6	4	0	60%	363	159	+204
Costa Rica	1	1	0	0	100%	23	6	+17
Colombia	4	1	2	1	25%	104	135	-31
Jamaica	2	2	0	0	100%	102	22	+80
Miami Rugby	1	0	1	0	0%	12	25	-13
Paraguay	1	1	0	0	100%	35	27	+8
Saint Vincent and the Grenadines	1	1	0	0	100%	47	7	+40
Turks and Caicos Islands	1	1	0	0	100%	96	0	+96
Trinidad and Tobago	1	0	0	1	0%	16	30	-14
USA South	3	2	1	0	66.67%	98	84	+14
Total	33	18	14	1	54.55%	846	664	+182

Current squad

Mexico squad for the 2019 Rugby World Cup qualification match against Colombia.^[8]

Backs Player Position Club Andrés Rodríguez Scrum-half Black Thunder RFC Miguel Carner Fly-half Black Thunder RFC Franco Guerrero Centre Querétaro Roosters Rugby Christian Henning Centre Black Thunder RFC Luis Arredondo Vargas Centre ITESM Puebla Alejandro Chavez Wing Tazmania RC Fharid Samano Wing Cumiyais Monterrey RFC Yeudiel Suro Wing Cumiyais Monterrey RFC Rodrigo Ripoll Fullback Querétaro Roosters Rugby Agustín Sánchez Fullback Hammerheads Cancún Pascual Nadal Fullback Black Thunder RFC

Forwards Player Position Club Alberto Mizael Loredo Reta Hooker Cumiyais Monterrey RC Marcos Flegmann Prop Boston RFC Maximiliano Douek Prop Tazmania RFC Jesús Rico Prop Cumiyais Monterrey RC Erick Castillo Second row Black Thunder RFC Santiago Prieto Ledesma second row Black Thunder RFC José Raúl Reyes Flanker Cumiyais Monterrey RC Gonzalo Ponce Flanker Black Thunder RFC Alberto Ruiz Flanker Wallabies RFC Santiago Leboreiro Flanker Black Thunder RFC Simon Pierre Number eight Tazmania RC

See also

• Rugby union in Mexico
• Mexican Rugby Federation
• Mexico national rugby sevens team

References

External links

• Federación Mexicana de Rugby - Official Site
• Wallabies México Rugby Football Club - Official Site
• TEMPLARIOS México Rugby Football Club - Official Site