Sport Rugby union Region Uruguay (URU) | Number of teams 8 Current champion Old Christians (2015) | |
Inaugural season 1950; 67 years ago (1950) Most titles Carrasco Polo (27 titles) | ||
The Campeonato Uruguayo de Rugby – named "Copa Amarok" due to sponsorship reasons, is the main competition of Uruguayan rugby union league system. It includes the first, second and third division competitions. It was played by first time in 1950.
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History
Rugby was introduced to Uruguay as early as the late 19th century, but did not really take off in formal terms until the mid-20th. The spur for this was Carlos E. Cat, who helped establish the Club Championship in 1950, and would become the first president of the URU in January 1951. The first Club Championship was contested by Old Boys, Colonia Rugby, and multisport clubs such as Montevideo Cricket Club (MVCC) and Carrasco Polo (which supplied two XVs). This was successful enough to lead to the establishment of the Uruguayan Rugby Union on 31 January 1951, with Cat as president.
Over the years, various other clubs would join the Championship, including Los Cuervos (the Crows) at the end of the 1950s, Old Christians at the beginning of the 1960s, as well as Champagnat and El Trébol de Paysandú in the 1970s, and Pucaru in the early 1990s, as well as La Cachila, Trouville, and Colonia Rowing.
Current teams
Teams participating at the 2014 Torneo Apertura: