GRR: Rugby Americas North
USA Rugby South shocked Mexico to win the Rugby Americas North U19 championship Saturday.
The Panthers went into the game having just escaped a very athletic Trinidad & Tobago team, while Mexico, the defending champions, had made it comfortably through pool play.
The USA South Men's U19 team has a tough task ahead of it Saturday as the Panthers take on Mexico in the Rugby Americas North final.
The Panthers needed some late-game heroics to edged Trinidad & Tobago by a single point on Wednesday. Mexico, meanwhile, Mexico thrashed Turks & Caicos and then beat Cayman Islands 26-10 Wednesday to have a somewhat easier path to the final.
The USA Rugby South women's team won the Rugby Americas North women's 10s Friday.
The 10-a-side tournament featured USA South, Trinidad & Tobago, Bahamas, and Jamaica. The South team was made up mostly of players from Life University, with a couple of players from other colleges, and was coached by Life University Women's Head Coach Rosalind Chou.
The USA Rugby South U19s needed a big second-half comeback to defeat Trinidad & Tobago and book a place in the Rugby Americas North U19 Championships final Saturday in Miramar, Fla.
Trinidad showcased their dangerous long-range attacking style and the South defense had trouble keeping up early on.
It's all started nicely for the USA Rugby South U19s; Saturday the Panthers shut out Bermuda 41-0 to kick off their RAN U19s tournament.