Americas Rugby News Rugby news from across the Americas!
Brazil’s national club championship, the Super 8 is set to kick-off this weekend. Reigning champions São José will face Niteroi who are back in Brazil’s elite after winning promotion from the Taça Tupi last season.
From the Vale do Paraíba in inland São Paulo state, São José enter as favorites. Last season São José won 12 of their 16 matches, amassing almost 350 points in the process. Opponents, Niteroi are the only club from Rio de Janeiro state in the competition.
The remaining six teams comes from two areas. Three are from São Paulo city and one each from the southern states of Paraná, Santa Catarina and Rio Grande do Sul.
Paraná’s leading club, Curitiba, were beaten finalists in 2015. They are to start their 2016 campaign at home to Farrapas on Saturday. Farrapas are the southern most team in the competition. Located 900km north of Montevideo the city of Bento Gonçalves is closer to the Uruguayan capital than it is to São Paulo.
Game three will see Santa Catarina state’s leading club, Desterro will play at home against SPAC. Both clubs have historically been among the best in the country and have a long record of producing test match players.
Meanwhile in São Paulo capital Bandeirantes Saracens will play host to Pasteur in an English vs French club affair. Both sides are from São Paulo and have affiliations with the Six Nations rivals.
Not involved in the round will be Brazilian 7’s players. They are to return after Rio 2016, upon which time three rounds of the Campeonato Brasileiro will have already been completed.
ROUND ONE FIXTURES
Curitiba vs Farrapos
Date: June 16 (2:30pm)
Venue: Secretária de Esportes (Curitiba, PR)
Referee: Henrique Platais
São José vs Niterói
Data: June 16 (3:00pm)
Venue: Parque Residencial União (São José dos Campos, SP)
Referee: Mariano Goycoechea
Desterro vs SPAC
Date: June 16 (3:00pm)
Venue: Campus UFSC Fazenda da Ressacada (Florianópolis, SC)
Referee: Xavier Vouga
Bandeirantes Saracens vs Pasteur
Date: June 16 (3:00pm)
Venue: Clube de Campo da Sociedade Esportiva Palmeiras (São Paulo, SP)
Referee: Marcelo Toscano
