Mexico supreme in NACRA 7s

Mexico only began playing women's sevens in 2009, but they have now not lost a game in the NACRA championships to any Caribbean team since 2011, losing only to Canadian teams.

In this year's tournament - which returned to Mexico City for the first time since 2009 - with no Canadian entrries they were so far ahead of their rivals that they lifted the crown having scored 223 points in six games while conceding just one try, in the final.

Coming hot on the heel of theCACSO Central American Gamesearlier in the week, this was no surprise as Mexico had taken bronze losing only to opposition from outside the NACRA region.

The NACRA championships had a special significance this year with the winners qualifying for next year's Pan American Games in Toronto, which will include rugby for the first time. Eight teams entered, from Mexico (population 120 million) to the Turks and Caicos (population 33,000), with Jamaica, Trinidad and the Cayman Islands also joining Mexico in playing two tournaments in less than seven days.

These four teams showed no signs of fatigue and seemed clearly well ahead their rivals from the opening games, but in round two Bermuda pulled off by far the largest shock of the tournament beating Jamaica - fourth in the CASCO Games - 17-5.With all teams proceeding to the quarter-finals the loss was not fatal to Jamaica's campaign, but it did mean a quarter-final with the Cayman Islands instead of St Lucia.

Jamaica were still favourites to take a quarter-final place having beaten the Caymans earlier in the week 36-7, but went down 15-12. Trinidad and Bermuda joined Mexico and the Caymans in the last four.

Trinidad and Mexico predictably made the final, but the Caymans played well to restrict Trinidad to a 20-5 win having lost 37-0 at CASCO before going on to finish third with a 17-14 win over Bermuda in the play-off - by a margin the best-ever NACRA 7s results for both teams.

After the close third-place game the final was the final was one sided, though Trindad did become the only team to cross the Mexican line as Mexico won 40-5.

Rosie Riviera, Captain of the Mexican women's team was beaming following the win."To do this in front of our fans, our friends, our family is so amazing," she said, adding, "This win was for everyone."Jamaica won the Plate Final with a 12-5 win over St. Lucia.

Results

Pool games

Mexico 31 Bermuda  0

Jamaica  24 Bahamas  0

Cayman Islands  31 St Lucia  7

Trinidad & Tobago  29 Turks & Caicos  0

Mexico  43 Bahamas  0

Jamaica  5 Bermuda  17

Trinidad & Tobago  25 St Lucia  5

Cayman Islands  38 Turks & Caicos  0

Mexico  35 Jamaica  0

Bermuda  34 Bahamas  0

St Lucia  27 Turks & Caicos  0

Trinidad & Tobago  19 Cayman Islands  14

Quarter-final

Trinidad & Tobago  19 Bahamas  5

Mexico  43 Turks & Caicos  0

Cayman Islands  15 Jamaica  12

Bermuda  12 St Lucia  5

Plate Semi-final

Jamaica  31 Cayman Islands  10

Turks & Caicos  7 St Lucia  10

Cup Semi-final

Trinidad & Tobago  20 Cayman Islands  5

Bermuda  0 Mexico  31

7/8th seeding

Bahamas  22 Turks & Caicos  0

Plate Final

St Lucia  5 Jamaica  12

3rd/4th Play-off

Bermuda  14 Cayman Islands  17

Cup Final

Mexico  40 Trinidad & Tobago  5