Rugby union in Guam is a minor but growing sport. They are currently ranked 82nd by the
IRB.
[ IRB.com Guam page, accessed 28 June 2009] Although Guam is often considered part of
Oceania, it tends to take part in Asian rugby tournaments.
The governing body is the Guam Rugby Football Union.
[
]
History
Rugby came to Guam via three separate streams, firstly, through the visits of British, New Zealand and Australian sailors; secondly, through the American presence, which has been there from the turn of the twentieth century; and thirdly through contact with neighbouring Pacific islands, where the game is popular. Guam has also had a long running, but sometimes tempestuous, relationship with Japan. It is not known if the forces of the Japanese occupation in WWII played the game at all there, but certainly, a large number Japanese retirees have also taken an interest in promoting the game.
Modern rugby in Guam, really dates from the 1970s, however.[http://www.guamrugby.com/Club.htm FROM GRASS ROOTS TO RUGBY WORLD CUP, Guam Rugby Club]
In 1995, Guam Rugby Club was established, and they undertook tours to Saipan
Saipan ( ch, Sa’ipan, cal, Seipél, formerly in es, Saipán, and in ja, 彩帆島, Saipan-tō) is the largest island of the Northern Mariana Islands, a Commonwealth (U.S. insular area), commonwealth of the United States in the western Pa ...
(Marianas
The Mariana Islands (; also the Marianas; in Chamorro: ''Manislan Mariånas'') are a crescent-shaped archipelago comprising the summits of fifteen longitudinally oriented, mostly dormant volcanic mountains in the northwestern Pacific Ocean, betw ...
), Palau, Pohnpei
Pohnpei "upon (''pohn'') a stone altar (''pei'')" (formerly known as Ponape or Ascension, Proto-Chuukic-Pohnpeic: ''*Fawo ni pei)'' is an island of the Senyavin Islands which are part of the larger Caroline Islands group. It belongs to Pohnpei ...
( Micronesia), and continental Asia.[
Guam rugby received another boost in 1999, when the island was chosen to host the
]1999 South Pacific Games
The 1999 South Pacific Games, held in Guam from 29 May to 12 June 1999, was the eleventh edition of the South Pacific Games.
Participating countries
The 21 countries that competed at the 1999 South Pacific Games were:
Note: A number in parenthe ...
(SPG); rugby sevens had only been approved as an official sport the previous year.[
In 2003, a full-time development officer was employed, and in 2004, the game was officially introduced into schools.][
The main rugby ground is the Wettengel Football Field.
]
National team
Guam takes part in the Pacific Asia region of the Asian Five Nations.
See also
* Guam national rugby union team
* Guam national rugby sevens team
The Guam national rugby sevens team competed at the 2009 Hong Kong Sevens. They participated at the 2015 Pacific Games in Papua New Guinea.
Players
Previous Squads
Squad to 2015 Pacific Games:
*Christopher Sgro
*Robert Leon Guerrero
*Brian Ra ...
* Guam women's national rugby union team
Guam (; ch, Guåhan ) is an Unincorporated territories of the United States, organized, unincorporated territory of the United States in the Micronesia subregion of the western Pacific Ocean. It is the List of extreme points of the United Stat ...
* Guam women's national rugby sevens team
* Rugby union in the United States
References
External links
IRB page
Philippines vs. Guam Rugby Match
Rugby in Asia Guam page
Guam Rugby Sevens Team Headed To Hong Kong For 2009 Rugby World Cup
{{Oceania in topic, Rugby union in
Sports in Guam by sport
Guam