Americas Rugby News Rugby news from across the Americas!
The coaching staff of Los Cóndores have confirmed Chile’s roster for the Americas Rugby Championship opening round fixture against Brazil. Chile will take-on the Tupis in a 5th vs 6th seed match-up at Parque Mahuida in La Reina this Saturday.
Brazil and Chile join Rugby World Cup 2015 competitors Argentina, Canada, Uruguay and the USA in a new competition which brings together the top six countries, historically, from the Americas.
Chile’s roster contains five players who play their rugby abroad. Having flown in from France are Francisco de La Fuente (Stade Bagneres), Leonardo Montoya (Stade Rouennais) and Ramón Ayarza (ROC). Sergio de La Fuente joins the squad from Waipu, New Zealand while Matías Cabrera (Cisneros) does so from Spain.
The new-look coaching staff sees Elías Santillán replacing Paul Healy with Sebastián Gajardo and Bernardo García being his assistants. Also involved in the team is Chile’s former second-rower of many years in France, Sergio Valdés. His role is match analyst.
The most experienced player on the roster is veteran COBS fly half Cristián Onetto with 60 prior caps. Sergio de La Fuente, with 48, is set to pass 50 caps in the tournament. Rodrigo Moya, Beltrán Vergara and Tomás Dussaillant have all been called-up for the first time.
Benjamín Soto will captain the side from the back of the scrum.
| Player | Position | Club | Date of Birth | Weight | Height | Caps |
| José Ramón Ayarza | Loosehead Prop | ROC La Voulte, France | August 28 1993 | 121Kg | 1,86m | 4 |
| Sergio de La Fuente | Tighthead Prop | Waipu, New Zealand | July 31 1986 | 119Kg | 1,86m | 48 |
| Tomás Dussaillant | Hooker | Old Boys | April 26 1986 | 100Kg | 1,76m | 0 |
| Rodrigo Moya | Hooker | PWCC | September 30 1982 | 105Kg | 181m | 0 |
| José Tomás Munita | Tighthead Prop | U. Catolica | August 11 1992 | 120Kg | 1,92m | 4 |
| Luis Sepulveda | Tighthead Prop | Troncos | July 13 1982 | 116Kg | 1,78m | 6 |
| Claudio Zamorano | Tighthead Prop | Stade Français | January 08 1989 | 103Kg | 1,78m | 9 |
| Ignacio Alvárez | Second-row | COBS | July 23 1988 | 105Kg | 1,93m | 5 |
| Nikola Bursic | Second-row | COBS | August 12 1993 | 115Kg | 1,88m | 4 |
| Raimundo Piwonka | Second-row | PWCC | December 07 1986 | 105Kg | 1,93m | 1 |
| Matías Cabrera | Back-row | Cisneros, Spain | October 31 1987 | 97Kg | 1,95m | 6 |
| Cristobál Niedmann | Back-row | PWCC | December 09 1992 | 90Kg | 1,72m | 15 |
| Javier Richard | Back-row | COBS | February 25 1991 | 96Kg | 1,86m | 4 |
| Ignacio Silva | Back-row | Stade Français | February 16 1989 | 98Kg | 1,87m | 14 |
| Benjamín Soto | Back-row | Stade Français | August 26 1987 | 96Kg | 1,82m | 15 |
| Juan Pablo Perrotta | Scrum half | U Catolica | May 09 1997 | 83Kg | 1,73m | 22 |
| Beltrán Vergara | Scrum half | Old Boys | December 25 1990 | 81Kg | 1,76m | 0 |
| Cristián Onetto | Fly half | COBS | February 11 1983 | 85Kg | 1,80m | 60 |
| Francisco de La Fuente | Center | Stade Bagneres, France | May 23 1988 | 90Kg | 1,83m | 12 |
| José Ignacio Larenas | Center | U. Catolica | September 14 1989 | 89Kg | 1,82m | 11 |
| Leonardo Montoya | Center | Stade Rouennais, France | August 05 1986 | 82Kg | 1,78m | 2 |
| Matías Nordenflycht | Center | COBS | October 02 1994 | 95Kg | 1,83m | 6 |
| Matías Contreras | Wing | Alumni | December 28 1994 | 86Kg | 1,87m | 5 |
| Italo Zunino | Wing | COBS | June 16 1992 | 84Kg | 1,77m | 8 |
| Pablo Casas | Fullback | PWCC | March 04 1992 | 90Kg | 1,88Kg | 1 |
| Humberto Chacaltana | Fullback | U. Catolica | June 23 1986 | 90Kg | 1,78m | 0 |
