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Young Uruguayan rugby player Manuel Leindekar has signed a three-year contract for Oyonnax. The move sees him becoming Uruguay’s youngest professional player. It comes after he arrived in the French city on a one-week trial earlier this month.
It means Uruguay now has six professional rugby players in Europe. Also playing in France are Felipe Berchesi (Carcassonne), Rodrigo Capó Ortega (Castres) and Agustín Ormaechea (Mont de Marsan). Meanwhile Mario Sagario plays for Munster in Ireland and Gastón Mieres for Coventry in England.
Leindekar was a part of Uruguay’s under 20 side that competed in the 2015 Junior World Rugby Trophy in Portugal. Los Teros faced Georgia, Fiji and Portugal in pool play, finishing second behind the tournament winning Georgians.
Los Teritos qualified for the Bronze Final, facing Tonga. The thrilling match was won 44-43 by the South Americans with Leindekar playing second-row. He also started against Georgia and Fiji and came off the bench against Portugal.
In additional representative rugby this year Leindekar was involved in Uruguay’s South American under 19 campaign. He was an important member of the team which defeated Paraguay 44–0, Brazil 27–12 and Chile 48-12 to win the title.
His move to France comes at the right time for Uruguay. The country’s World Cup captain, Santiago Vilaseca has retired leaving a void in the second-row stocks. Also out of the picture is Capó Ortega who holds down a starting position for the 2013 French champions but is now 35 years old.
Additional second-rowers who went to the World Cup – Franco Lamanna, Mathias Palomeque and Jorge Zebino are, like Vilaseca, short players for the position. Leindekar, in contrast, is in the traditional mould of a tall and well-built lock.
Uruguay will play in the Americas Rugby Championship in February and March. The Six Nations tournament will see Los Teros facing Argentina, Brazil, Canada, Chile and the USA.
