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In our first trip to South American lands and thanks to the Americas Rugby frequent flyer program, we land in Colombia, where the National Team, after an outstanding performance in the Rugby World Cup Sevens Qualifier, is getting ready to host South American B championship in the traditional form of the game.
Los Tucanes, a growing side in the past few years, wish to jump over their rivals, one of them being the main target: Brazil. Javier Castellanos, Pablo Lemoine and Alejandro Londoño are our hosts to introduce ourselves in this coffee-flavoured rugby land.
PLANTING COLOMBIA RUGBY SEEDS
Colombia is a relatively new country in the rugby world stage. During the '80s, Bogotá Sports Club was the only team throwing line outs in the country. They've had occasional touring teams from USA, Venezuela and Trinidad & Tobago. One tour in particular, though, left a pretty anecdote to tell about those first Barbarians. It came after an unquestionable defeat of the Flying Lions (the British Airways team) when, instigated by one of the starring Barbarians players, the local press had an sport-section front-page stating that Colombia National Team had beaten The Lions… not the Flying, but the British Lions. Confusion apart, from episodes such as this, Colombia's rugby roots have been seed. As 3 of the major sprouts coming from this tree, we interviewed a triad of players from the National Team that introduce ourselves on how they got in touch with rugby, all of them having as an starting and intersection mark the University, a fact that little by little is changing in Colombia.
"I started to train back in 1998 in Carneros from Universidad de los Andes, where I still continue playing today. Openside Flanker was my original position in the field, but I strengthen as a hooker", starts Javier Castellanos, vice-captain of Colombia's NT. "Undoubtedly, my most precious memories come from my first match. It was played in Universidad Nacional between Carneros and Barbarians. At the time, Barbarians were the champions, a team made of foreign teachers, many of them teaching in the high school where I graduated". Was it revenge time? Not really, "For me", explains Javier, "It was an amazing experience to play against them, and what gratified me the most was the situation on the pitch. They didn't feel as an authority. We were equals, truly rugby mates. It was my first match, our first defeat of the Barbarians. That day meant everything, that day I felt in love with rugby". Castellanos, with an Australian experience on his feet, having taken part of New South Wales University rugby team, was the first one to pass an oval ball to Pablo Lemoine. Now he gives the floor to him to continue with the first steps of Bogotá's League try-scorer, a flanker as well, who finally became a full back: "An Irish friend introduced me to the sport at around 15, but it was just when I turned 19 that I realised, the University had been running a team. My hands hanged an oval ball for the first time in January 2002 and that same year I played, as a wing, my first South American championship. My beginnings as a flanker are related to the fact that by the time Carneros needed forwards, because back positions were all covered. Nowadays I jump to the pitch as a fullback but I can also fulfil fly half position if needed". Alongside Bogotá, Medellín is the other Colombian city where rugby holds strong. A 400 km ride from the capital, the city known as the country's industrial hub is Alejandro Londoño's home place. "At the start, the sport was barely known, so rugby was a huge question mark. The kick off was brought to us by 3 university students plenty of decision and heart that transmitted the game and its philosophy to every single curious soul that moved closer to the pitch. Those souls wondered what was that weird sport about, as it was being played just by a little bunch. I was one of those souls, so I decided to go with a friend and get closer to the pitch. From that moment on, Rugby has been part of my life". Nowadays things have changed, Alejandro points out his actual viewing on rugby matters: "Everything is very different. At the moment we have specific groups for the novices –we were all novices when we started-, for the adults, and a kids group on Saturday. We are aware on the game's knowledge, rules, training methods. It has been a long way from our scarce beginnings". Alejandro, a former scrum half, today a fly-half, leads us the way to continue with the story before we get to the today of Colombia's rugby.
LOS TUCANES: ITS BIRTH Colombia's debut in the road to rugby's showcase was on October 6th 2001, in Caracas, against Venezuela. A first call and the feeling to play for the national team, astonishment, youth and inexperience all mixed prevented a real understanding to what was happening in the cafeteros' minds. Fast-paced events provide no time to digest and assimílate their place. "It meant the debut to all of us" remembers Londoño, "The emotion was unbelievable: our coach played the national anthem recording in the bus trip to the stadium, we cried a lot: in the bus, in the dressing room before the start of play and in the pitch, as well, before the kick off". Castellanos completes: "Tears falling here and there… Playing in a stadium with crowd… It became an emotional shock".
Between all these various feelings, this resource-less and outfit-less team had the founders of the incipient Colombian national team. Javier rewinds in time: "Our XV lacked of good technique, it had tactical shortcomings and had no defined strategy. We were guided by instinct, we played with our hearts". "Today", underlines the vice-captain "Colombia has improved its technique and tactic skills. We recognise that we've to work on our concentration and train together for a longer period of time. Nevertheless, we're getting more serious, more mature. We look to every national team similar in standards as equals". Londoño emphasizes: "Beyond the final score, that first experience was a one to remember. We're very proud of that 55-0 defeat against Venezuela. We took part of that team, and looking at the actual scoreboards, we get prouder". El Paisa Alejandro points out other anecdotes as well, the newcomers' baptisms coming from Rasta hands in Lima 2002 and William ones in Asunción 2005. Lemoine tells his 2002's memories: "I met the whole team in El Dorado airport, the morning before boarding. The first thought coming to my mind was: 'We can't lose'. They were the best players I've seen in all my life and it was a difficult task to imagine a better group". The day before the first match, no matter where they were, Pablo decided to keep the helmet he used to play on and trusting Javier's memory, he even slept with his game's shoes. Once on the field, a reality punch said present: "In Lima 2002, we lost every game and try-less. I've learnt a lot since then", explains Pablo, "I understand, especially, that discipline and sacrifice are the mean to improve". Before we get to the present of the national team, we will introduce what's happening in Colombia's soil.
COLOMBIAN RUGBY GEOGRAPHY Inside their own country, Colombia's rugby is widespread in 4 main geographic areas: Bogotá, Medellín, Bucaramanga and Eje cafetero. Every area has an own structure with the development of local tournaments. Bogotá and Medellín leagues are structured within two divisions: A and B. For 2008, 11 teams comprise Bogota's tournament, while 16 will compete in Antioquia (province where Medellín is located). Depending on the amount of players in every club, many institutions field two teams, an A team in the first division a B team in the second. Newcomers are placed in the second category. The winner of this division plays a repechage match against the last position in Division A to decide the main's tournament last participant. Yearly, two different competitions are held: Apertura and Finalización. However, it's being taken under consideration to only hold one competition, looking to improve pre-season conditioning and Sevens. Javier Castellanos, forwards trainer from Bogota's Carneros A male team and founder and coach of Carneros Female team, paints Bogota's league panorama, that is s played every Saturday in Maracana's Park via Suba - Cota: "The league makes clear the continuous development in administrative, playing and refereeing level, we're all growing side by side. I dare to say that there are important differences between divisions, but inside every club the gap is narrowing. Carneros and Barbarians are the two teams with a wider path in the league and the match is considered as the derby. At a national glance, Carneros ULA vs. Gatos UDEA is the main match". Lemoine offers his view: "Standards between the candidates and the rest are significant, this is mainly due to the international exposure that players from the national team gain. As a consequence of this, only two different teams have become champions in the last 6 years, therefore the tournament may lose interest until the final match". Castellanos suggest to continue Carneros' path, thus finding a way to solve this issue: "Considering that their players are more inexperienced, B teams have always been technically inferior. However, we promote a constant movement between divisions to generate competition and improve the standards. We're even considering to develop a C team". This is a path that, if possible, many clubs may take. Another issue that Colombians face has to be with age. Many 18 years old have to ruck, maul and scrum against experienced 35 years old players. A future project is to raise from scratch an Under21 category to compete. Great news, in the mean time, came from the youngsters, where a Colombia's U19 side will take part for the first time in a South American competition. Coming back to Carneros, internationally speaking, they've received invitations to tour and take part in the Tens tournament that's played in a parallel way to Hong Kong Sevens. Playing in Chile, Uruguay and Argentina are already in their plans. As Javier explains, lack of resources leads to the saying: "There's many a slip 'twixt cup and lip", then looking for sponsors has become a fundamental aspect to make actions real during the course of 2008 or 2009. In Medellín and under similar format circumstances to those in Bogotá, Antioqueña's League takes place. Alejandro Londoño introduces us: "Our season runs from February to August and along the local championship, national competitions between clubs and regions are held in several cities around the country. In Medellín, Gatos UDEA has conquered the title in the last 3 years in a row and two of the last finals were against Petirrojos. Both teams help shape the Medellin's derby". Javier and Alejandro put their local rugby into perspective, comparing them to the other areas in the country: "Clubs from Bogotá and Antioquia have defined itself by being the strongest in the country. Anyways, in past years, Águilas from Santander and Arrieros from Pereira have demonstrated that they're groups that should be taken into account", stress Alejandro. Javier adds: "Bucaramanga send very strong, hardened teams that are prone to lose their temper. On the other hand, Pereira and Armenia, I'd say they have the physically strongest sides but as they're still in the first phases of development, work and technique skills have to persist". In the regional tournaments the different areas compete as a whole. Bogotá has been the dominant force, though Antioquia won male and female competitions back in 2007. A long-length national tournament at club's level is seen as impracticable due to the long distances (9 hours average between the cities) and the consequent costs to afford the trips. That's the reason why there's a wish to found a Cup where the champions of every league could meet to establish the best team in the country, this format being the model that Venezuela uses to confirm theirs. To get a whole view of the national field, this is a list that contains most part of the sides that take part in these tournaments:
Bogotá: Carneros de Universidad de Los Andes, Minotaurios de Universidad Militar, Barbarians, Alianza, Salamandras de Universidad Nacional, Zeppelín, Santos de Universidad San Buenaventura, Azules de Universidad Sabana, Universidad Rosario.
Medellín: Gatos de Universidad de Antioquia, Petirrojos, EAFIT, Universidad de Medellín, Duendes de Medellín, Universidad Nacional, Copacabana, Marinilla, Envigado.
Santander: Águilas, Dragones Universidad Pontificia Bolivariana, Universidad Industrial, Toros, Potros, Alianza Francesa, Cúcuta RC, Búfalos Pamplona.
Eje Cafetero: Arrieros, Bisontes y Rhinos, all coming from Pereira, Caciques Armenia, Chiguacos Cali, Leones Pasto.
Now it's time to continue with the recent past of the national side. |
