MEXICO CITY, March 24 (Reuters) – The long qualifying road
to the 2015 Rugby World Cup in England got underway on Saturday
with Mexico’s nine-try, 68-14 win over Jamaica.
The match, played in front of a Mexican record crowd of
2,000 at the Iberian-American University on the western
outskirts of the capital, is part of the Caribbean championship
and the winners will go on to face South America’s CONSUR
winners.
“Although there can be just one winner, I would like to
congratulate both teams on playing their full part in an
exceptional start to the Rugby World Cup 2015 qualification
process,” International Rugby Board president Bernard Lapasset
said.
“The road to England is well and truly underway,” he said at
the match, also attended by former 2003 World Cup winner
Lawrence Dallaglio as an England 2015 ambassador and where the
Webb Ellis trophy was on display.
The match was refereed by South African Craig Joubert, who
was in charge of the 2011 World Cup final in which New Zealand
beat France less than six months ago.
(Reporting by Carlos Calvo; writing by Rex Gowar in Buenos
Aires; Editing by Nick Mulvenney)
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