Rugby is the sporting flavor of the moment with the 2015 World Cup taking place in England set to enthrall fans of American  football’s “older sibling” over the next six weeks.

Closer to home, rugby is undergoing an unexpected boom in Mexico. New clubs are springing up around the country, with Guadalajara one of the focal points of the game.  

Three metro-area men’s teams – the Rhinos, Lobos and Bisontes – will compete in a seven-team, 12-game regional phase of the top division Liga FMRU 2015-2016, which gets underway this weekend. First up is a local battle between the Rhinos – Guadalajara’s oldest team formed in 2002 – and the Bisontes at the Estadio Tlaquepaque de Rugby on Saturday, September 26, 1 p.m.   Upcoming homes games for the Rhinos are on October 10, November 7, November 28, December 12 and January 16.  Visitors are more than welcome at this purpose-built stadium, and admission is free to all games. The Rhinos also run female and youth teams.  All three Guadalajara teams have Facebook pages and websites with information about their schedules.