Ecuador is a country in western South America, bordering the Pacific Ocean at the Equator, for which the country is named. Ecuador encompasses a wide range of natural formations and climates, from the desert-like southern coast to the snowcapped peaks of the Andes mountain range to the plains of the Amazon Basin. Cotopaxi in Ecuador is one of the world's highest active volcanos. It also has a large series of rivers that follow the southern border and spill into the northwest area of Peru.
Guayaquil, officially Santiago de Guayaquil, is the largest and most populous city in Ecuador. with around 2 million people in the metropolitan area, as well as the nation's main port. The city is the capital of Guayas Province and the seat of Guayaquil canton.
The Ecuador national football team represents Ecuador in international football competitions and is controlled by the Ecuadorian Football Federation. They play official home matches at Estadio Olímpico Atahualpa in Quito.
Barcelona Sporting Club is an Ecuadorian sports club based in Guayaquil, known best for its professional football team. They currently play in the Liga PRO Ecuador, the highest level of football in the country, and hold the distinction of being the only club in Ecuadorian history not to be relegated to the Serie B.
Édison Vicente Méndez Méndez is a retired Ecuadorian football attacking midfielder. Méndez is a former Ecuador International and is the second-most capped player for his country.
The Primera Categoría Serie A, simply known as the Serie A or the Primera A, is a professional football league in Ecuador. At the top of the Ecuadorian football league system, it is the country's premier football competition. Contested by twelve clubs, it operates a system of promotion and relegation with the Serie B, the lower level of the Primera Categoría. The season runs from February to December and is usually contested in multiple stages. It is sponsored by beer company Pilsener and is officially known as the Copa Pilsener Serie A.
Highfield Rugby Football Club is a rugby union club based in Cork, Ireland, playing in Division 2A of the All-Ireland League. The club was founded in 1930 and was elevated to senior status in the province of Munster in 1953. Before moving to its present grounds at Woodleigh Park, it was based in fields off Magazine Road between Highfield Avenue and Highfield West, where the team derived its name. In Coincidentally, the current ground is now located near a park called Highfield Lawn. They are currently playing in Division 2A of the All-Ireland League after two successive promotions. Highfield's Youth Section has an enviable record of success over the last 34 or so years.
The Mexico national rugby union team entered the World Rugby Rankings in March 2012, ranked initially in joint 71st place with other new entrants Pakistan and the Philippines.
The Costa Rica national rugby union team represents Costa Rica in international rugby union. The nation have yet to play in a Rugby World Cup tournament. The Costa Rica national rugby team played their first international in 2005 defeating their opponents Panama by 60-0.
Tilson Oswaldo Minda is an Ecuadorian footballer who last played for Barcelona SC in the Ecuadorian Serie A.
Association football is the most popular sport in Ecuador, in line with the majority of South America.
Juan Carlos Paredes Reasco is an Ecuadorian professional footballer who plays as a right-back for Club Sport Emelec of the Ecuadorian Serie A.
The El Salvador national rugby union team, nicknamed Los Torogoces, represents El Salvador in rugby union. They had their first international tournament in 2011 in Costa Rica along the other teams from Central America, winning the Silver Cup.
Sports in Ecuador influence the culture and its people. Football is the most popular sport, followed by baseball, volleyball, basketball, and tennis.
Miss Ecuador 2011, the 57th Miss Ecuador pageant, was held on March 17, 2011. Claudia Schiess, from Galapagos was crowned Miss Ecuador 2011 by the outgoing titleholder Lady Mina from Guayas. The winner of Miss Ecuador represented her country at Miss Universe 2011.
The Ecuador national rugby union team represents Ecuador in international rugby union play. Ecuador recently became a member of the Confederación Sudamericana de Rugby in 2011. but not yet the International Rugby Board (IRB), and will not play qualifiers for the Rugby World Cup until it is. The Ecuadorian Rugby Federation governs the sport of rugby in the country.
In the Americas Region for 2015 Rugby World Cup qualifying, Argentina had automatically qualified for the World Cup, and two places were available in the Americas qualification process, which were taken by Canada and the United States. An additional Americas team, Uruguay, also qualified as the Play-off winner.
The Ecuadorian women's football championship is the national competition for women's football teams in Ecuador. The competition is organised by the Ecuadorian Football Federation. Until 2013, the tournament was played by divisional selections and not clubs. After a restructuring in 2013 clubs contest the league title. The winner qualifies to the Copa Libertadores Femenina.
