Ecuador national rugby league team

The sport of rugby league is at its inception and earliest stage of growth in Ecuador. However, efforts are being put in place to increase the exposure and participation of rugby league in Central and South America through the Latin Heat Rugby League.

In April 2015, Latin Heat volunteer and ambassador Matthew Brown created a Facebook page called "Ecuador Rugby XIII" to help create interest in starting Rugby League in Ecuador. He also lived in the country for 6 months.

While there, he helped create a partnership between Touch Rugby Ecuador and Ecuador Rugby XIII. Touch Rugby Ecuador is an organisation (mainly made up of expats from Rugby nations living in Quito, Ecuador) that plays social games of Touch Rugby every Saturday at Carolina Park. The basic idea behind combining the two organisations was that Rugby is quite small in Ecuador, and working together would encourage native Ecuadorians to try both forms of rugby.

Later, Brown met with Fenrir Rodriguez, who was interested in helping start the Ecuador Rugby XIII. The Latin Heat were able to recruit enough Ecuadorian players, and on 17 October 2015, the newly established Ecuadorian rugby league team competed in its first international competition - The Latino Rugby League Sevens at New Era Stadium, Cabramatta.[2]

Other Latin nations such as Mexico, Brazil and Argentina already play the sport and along with other efforts to start the game up in countries such as El Salvador, Haiti, Colombia, Uruguay, Chile and Peru, it is hoped that Ecuador can learn from their neighbours and receive support while attempting to further Rugby League on home soil.

The following is the Ecuadorian teamed named for the 2015 Latino Sevens.[3]

Scott Correa,

Rodney Garcia (Co-Captain),

Andres Garzon,

Frank Jacome,

Sebastian Jacome,

Jeff Lopez (Co-Captain),

Dahcell Ramos-Malo,

Geovanny Sanchez,

Sandro Sanchez,

Roberto Tacuri,

Juan Torres,

Johnny Vasco

Scott Correa, Rodney Garcia (Co-Captain), Andres Garzon, William Gomez, Frank Jacome, Sebastian Jacome, Johnny Liszka, Jeff Lopez (Co-Captain), Dahcell Ramos-Malo, Jay Palese, Johnny Pandilla, Geovanny Sanchez, Sandro Sanchez, Edgar Santamaria, Roberto Tacuri, Juan Torres, Johnny Vasco