Guatemala Quetzal Rugby Club Guatemala Quetzal Rugby Club The Guatemala Quetzal Rugby Club (also known as GQRC) is a rugby union team based in Guatemala City, Guatemala. The club competes in the Asociacion Guatemalteca de Rugby 15s tournament. The club uses both their location, Guatemala, Guatemala, and the Guatemalan national bird, the Quetzal, as club identifiers. The club in its beginning was represented mainly by players from Guatemala but also from The United States, Argentina, Japan, Mexico, England, Italy, France and Canada. As of today the club is represented by 95% Guatemalan players. The club used Maya numerals on the back of their jersey
Resplendent quetzal during the latter stages of the Spanish conquest of the region. This quetzal was his "nahual" (spirit guide). The Quiché repelled several attacks from the Spanish army, even though outmatched in weaponry (guns, armor and cavalry against spears and arrows). Legend has it that on the day the conquistador Pedro de Alvarado fought against Tecún Umán, there was a quetzal flying overhead. On the first strike Tecún Umán, on foot, managed to disable Pedro de Alvarado's horse. Alvarado was then given another horse and on the second strike ran through Tecún Umán's chest with a spear. The quetzal flew down