Las Águilas, the rugby team of the UDA

Since July 2008 the University of Azuay has its rugby team called "Águilas Rugby Club-UDA", which was the first rugby team in the city of Cuenca and the fourth to settle as a team in Ecuador.

A group of students had heard of the existence of this sport and decided to create a team, when they got in touch with Douglas Rodriguez, former Venezuelan rugby player, who was the first coach of the team and shared with the boys what he knew about rugby.

Once the team was formed, training was not an easy task since obtaining the ball was an obstacle, at that time in our environment they still did not sell it, that is why at the beginning the Eagles trained with coconuts since it was the only thing that was It was similar in weight to an original rugby ball.

After two months of conforming the equipment, the Eagles obtained their first ball but they only occupied it for tournaments for fear of damaging it, the ball was brought from England. Nowadays, the players of the team - if they travel abroad - buy these oval balls.

In 2009, with a team, a coach and a ball, the first victory took place with a bronze medal in the I Beach Sports Games belonging to the VII Ecuadorian Olympic Festival.

The first gold medal arrived at the 2010 at the Rugby Beach Olympic Festival in Manta. So far "Águilas Rugby Club-UDA" total about nine wins.

The team currently has 63 members in total, among which are UDA students and former students who are considered active veterans.

Already in the 2015 it is decided that the team will also be female rugby, having currently around 12 student girls and five active veterans who support with their experience forming a team of 17 women, who added their first victory in the 2016 obtaining the second place in the French Cup Tournament played in Quito.

Rugby is considered one of the most violent team sports and requires great physical strength, it also demands great skill and an important dose of strategic intelligence.

Anyway, it is not uncommon for some players to end up with wounds, some of them of some consideration, and that is why certain padded protective garments are authorized for the face and body.

For this reason it has earned the reputation of being a sport of 'villains practiced by gentlemen'.

This reputation is what the UDA Rugby team complicates when recruiting people. Because it is a relatively new sport in Cuenca and because of how rude it seems, the ranks to join the team do not get much demand.

But the UDA Eagles conceive their sport in another way, an activity that fosters friendship and chivalry, and affirm in their slogan: "Values ​​are being lost, find them in rugby".

The Eagles extend their invitation to be part of the rugby team of the UDA, the training takes place on Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday and Saturday of 21: 00 to 23: 00 pm on the courts at the edge of the river for the sector of the UPC of Monay.