Paraguay national rugby union team
 |
|
| Union | Unión de Rugby del Paraguay |
|---|---|
| Nickname(s) | Los yacarés (The Alligators) |
| Coach(es) | Pedro Baraldi |
| Top scorer | Claudio Ninho |
| First international | |
 Brazil 21 – 3 Paraguay  (5 September 1970) |
|
| Largest win | |
 Venezuela 7 – 94 Paraguay (28 September 2005) |
|
| Largest defeat | |
Paraguay 0 – 152 Argentina  (1 May 2002) |
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The Paraguay national rugby team is the team governed by the Paraguayan Rugby Union that represents Paraguay in the international rugby competitions organized by the International Rugby Board.
They compete regularly in the South American Rugby Championship, but have yet to qualify for the Rugby World Cup.
Paraguay had the unenviable position on 1 May 2002, of being beaten by Argentina A by 152–0. In July of the same year, Japan beat Taiwan by an identical margin – 155–3, but unlike Paraguay, Taiwan scored some points in their match.
In the past Paraguay was regularly the 4th team in South American rugby, behind Argentina, Uruguay and Chile.
However, in the late 2000s, at both Junior and Senior Levels, Brazil came to compete with and beat Paraguay, relegating Paraguay to 5th place in South America.
With the formation of the Unión de Rugby del Paraguay in 1970, the national team, Los Yacarés (the Alligators), first represented Paraguay in 1971.
In the Sudamericano (South American Championship) of 1971 they lost to Chile, Uruguay and Argentina by between 40 and 60 points, while losing a close game to Brazil, 12-6. This established the pattern which has continued ever since, with Paraguay lagging behind Argentina, Uruguay and Chile, and sharing 4th and 5th place in South America with Brazil.
In 1981, in the absence of Argentina, Paraguay finished 3rd in the Sudamericano.
In 1985 Paraguay drew 9 all with Uruguay, their only draw with Uruguay at senior level, and lost to Chile by only 3 points, 19-12. Despite the draw, Paraguay still finished in 4th place in the Sudamericano on points difference, due to a heavy loss to Argentina and Uruguay beating Chile.
In 1993 Paraguay managed to beat Chile 25-24 in Santiago for the first and only time at senior level, finishing 3rd in the Sudamericano.
Until 2003 Paraguay regularly played in the Sudamericano de Rugby A (the first division of the South American rugby championship). However, in 2003 they suffered huge losses, 144-0 to Argentina, 53-7 to Uruguay and 102-0 to Chile.
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