Mexico to hold 9s tournament

Rugby league looks to be spreading across the Americas, with the news that the Mexican Rugby League is planning a 9s tournament.

The Mexican Rugby League was founded some six months ago, and is now looking to hold its first official Copa México Rugby League 9s in Tultitlán, Greater Mexico City.

The competition will take place on August 9. Players will be drawn from the four senior clubs who have been formed in Mexcio, where there are approximately 80 players now involved in the game.

A national league competition, running from August until October, has also been pencilled in, with a Shield Competition set for November.

The Mexican Rugby League is also looking to be affiliated to the Rugby Leaue International Federation, and hopes to play internationals soon.

Games against Jamaica, Canada and the USA could become the bedrock for a future international calendar for the sport on the other side of the Atlantic.

Australian-based outfit Latin Heat have provided some meaningful assistance, and one of their players, Grantito Charcone, is of Mexican descent.

The Latin Heat are also hoping to send 1000 rugby league balls to Central and South America, as well as copies of the laws of the game translated into Spanish and Portuguese.

The sheer size of Mexico, with a population of around 100 million, could make the future of rugby league interesting in this part of the world.