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Nicaragua claimed an historic win over Panama today. The 46-36 victory was the first victory by Nicaragua in test match rugby. The Central American republic joined the South American C Championship this season, facing Costa Rica, Guatemala and Panama.
All three of Nicaragua’s opponents are established teams in the South American C Championship. This meant that the country’s chances going into the tournament were slim. Los Tiburones, though proved to be up to the required standard, competing well against both Costa Rica and Guatemala before downing Panama in their final match.
Nicaragua’s victory was wrapped up long before the final whistle. Early domination was so great that Nicaragua remarkably held a 31-0 lead. Los Diablos fought back well to threaten to catch Los Tiburones.
The fixture was the Bronze Final in the 2017 South American C Championship. Both countries entered today’s match after having fallen to Guatemala and Costa Rica in the first and second rounds of the competition.
The winner of the South American C Championship will be determined in today’s remaining fixture. Costa Rica and Guatemala meet in the tournament decider.
This year’s tournament marks the debut of Nicaragua on the international stage. In the 2016 edition of the tournament, Panama won for the first time in their history, downing El Salvador.
The final standings see Nicaragua claiming Bronze and Panama finishing in bottom spot. The result promises to spark a new rivalry in Central America and one which will be further boosted with the return of El Salvador and future inclusion of Honduras.
