Rugby Union
Main article: Rugby union in Uruguay See also: Uruguay at the Rugby World CupWith a history dating back to the 1940s, rugby union is a popular recreational sport in Uruguay. The tragic crash of Uruguayan Air Force Flight 571, and the resulting books and films, Alive: The Story of the Andes Survivors and Alive, brought Uruguayan rugby into the global limelight.
Football is the most popular sport in Uruguay. Basketball ranks second in popularity, and rugby union is considered the third most popular sport.
The popularity of rugby increased significantly, after the national side qualified for the 1999 Rugby World Cup, and the subsequent 2003 Rugby World Cup, this saw a renewed interest in the sport and broad media coverage of the game.
The Uruguay national rugby union team, more commonly known as the Los Teros (Southern Lapwing), represent Uruguay at the international level. The team is governed by the Unión de Rugby del Uruguay, and are the second highest ranked team in South America, after Argentina, at 20th in the world.
Uruguayan rugby players such as Pablo Lemoine and Rodrigo Capó Ortega have enjoyed success in the professional European leagues.
Read more about this topic: Sport In Uruguay
Famous quotes containing the word union:
“One thing that makes art different from life is that in art things have a shape ... it allows us to fix our emotions on events at the moment they occur, it permits a union of heart and mind and tongue and tear.”
—Marilyn French (b. 1929)