Big Rugby tourney concludes this weekend in Costa Rica

Rugby enthusiasts say the sport is becoming more popular in Costa Rica, and backing them up is the South American Rugby Confederation (CONSUR) category C tournament, which is taking place in San José this year.

“The game has evolved in a very positive way,” said Francisco Galarreta, who has coached the Costa Rican team for the past two years. He’s seen interest in the sport grow here, but also said that there’s a lot of work to be done for the Costa Rican team to become a powerhouse in the region.

In this weekend’s tournament, Ecuador, Guatemala, El Salvador and Costa Rica are facing off for the chance to ascend to the B category, which currently includes Venezuela, Peru and Colombia.

Costa Rica is 1-1 in the tournament, beating El Salvador 71-3 on Sunday and losing to Ecuador 7-13 on Wednesday.

The championship will be decided Saturday when El Salvador squares off against Ecuador and Costa Rica plays. Guatemala.

Going there: Exhibition games, including women’s rugby matches, start at 8:30 a.m. Saturday. Ecuador will play El Salvador at 11 a.m. and Costa Rica will play Guatemala at 2 p.m. The event is at the Liceo Franco Costarricense in Concepción de Tres Rios. Entrance is ₡3,000 ($6). For more information visit http://sanjoserugbyclub.com.

Here are some photos from last Wednesday’s game between Costa Rica and Ecuador: