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It’s not just soccer that can stretch cooperation across an international border. San Diego Legion, the city’s Major League Rugby franchise, now have a new cooperative partnership.
They and the Tijuana basketball club, the Zonkeys, are opening a Rugby Flag Academy in Tijuana, the first of its kind in the Mexican city.
Rugby Flag is a non-contact sport focused on evasion, played with flags attached to the hips and using the basic rules of traditional rugby. Rugby Flag serves as an entryway to traditional rugby, which includes three variations: Rugby 7s (Olympic Rugby), Rugby 13s, and Rugby 15s.
A zonkey is a donkey painted like a zebra and they adorn Tijuana’s Ave. Revolucion
The project aims to create a new athletic space for the border community.
The Academy will be based at the soccer field adjacent to Arena Zonkeys, and is part of the Imagine Rugby program implemented by the Legion in 2024.
That program promotes rugby in elementary and middle schools.
To date, six schools and two academies have participated in the development of Imagine Rugby, engaging over 300 children in Mexico who played rugby for the first time. This is expected to increase dramatically.
The Zonkeys, named after one of Tijuana’s more bizarre tourist attractions, currently offer programs in flag football, soccer, volleyball and basketball.
Rugby becomes the fifth sport.
The press conference was attended by Dora Lorena Garay, Manager of the Zonkeys Sports Club; Sports Coordinator for San Diego Legion; Mariel Galván, Sports Coordinator for San Diego Legion; Guillermo Amaya and Alejandro Pradillo, a Mexican player for San Diego Legion.
“I am very grateful for the outreach from San Diego Legion, a franchise that has done things right and established a strong reputation in San Diego.
“We’ve seen their efforts in Tijuana this year, especially through our collaboration at the Sports Expo, which sparked ideas and new projects.
“One of Zonkeys’ goals is to innovate and form alliances like this,” said Andrea Jáuregui, General Director of Tijuana Zonkeys.
The Rugby Academy will officially open its doors on February 25 and is open to boys and girls ages 8 to 17. Training sessions will take place on Tuesdays and Thursdays from 6:00 PM to 7:30 PM at Arena Zonkeys.
Those interested in joining the Rugby Flag Academy by Tijuana Zonkeys and San Diego Legion can find more information on the official social media accounts of both organizations.
The enrollment fee is 850 Mexican pesos per student, and those who register within the first 15 days will receive the official Rugby Flag Academy jersey from Tijuana Zonkeys and San Diego Legion.
