Up and Under

Up and Under is a weekly feature on Americas Rugby News which reviews the best and worst from games involving the Americas teams over the previous week.

UP

Classifying Americas Rugby
Markets, new and old, offer great hope for a future of greatly expanded international competition in our region. This past week Americas Rugby News defined a tiered classification system similar to that utilized by World Rugby. It acts to genuinely classify where all countries stand within the context of the Americas. Clear paths have been laid out as to how Tier 3 unions can become Tier 2 and eventually Tier 1.

The Americas to Bucharest
On November 12, 19 and 26 Romania will play home test matches against leading countries from the Americas. Romania is to play USA, Canada and Uruguay (in that order) with all three internationals taking place at the Arc de Triomphe, in Bucharest. Of note is the Rugby World Rankings. Currently Romania is ranked 16th in the world. The sides ranked 17th, 18th and 19th are the USA, Canada and Uruguay in that order.

Ontario Blues
With a 50-21 win over the BC Bears on Sunday the Blues were crowned MacTier Cup champions for a fifth time in six years. They did so in style, scoring seven tries and playing expansive, exciting rugby. Despite losing top players to professional leagues and international duty the province continues to churn out winners, proving beyond doubt that Ontario is the province to beat in the Canadian rugby-sphere.

Montevideo
The oldest rugby club in the Americas turned 155 this past week. Established on July 18, 1861, Montevideo Cricket Club (MVCC) was the first rugby club in Uruguay. It is recognized at the Twickenham Museum of Rugby has being the 8th oldest club in the World. Throughout its history the club has produced many players for Los Teros. Forwards Agustín Alonso and Diego Magno competed at 2015 World Cup. Also from the club is Pablo Lemoine, the Head Coach from last year’s Uruguayan team.

PRO Rugby
There will be disappointment in the camps of both San Francisco and particularly San Diego whose season is now over, but overall the league will be very pleased with the rugby that was played over the weekend. The teams have come a long way over the past three months and while the end has come to soon for some, the playing field has just about leveled and some exciting contests have come because of it. Ohio will now host Denver in a title-decider on Sunday to cap what has been a highly promising first season on the pitch. The hard work will soon begin again off it.

Marcos Kremer
Kids and teens dream of playing for their country. They look up to those in their test sides with great respect and admiration. Through hard work and enormous talent the best of them can have the opportunity of one day following in their footsteps and playing international rugby. This possibility is now a reality for Marcos Kremer. Aged just 18 the uncapped second-rower was selected for the Rugby Championship. Starting this week he will be training full-time with Los Pumas.

UNDER

Gonzalo Tiesi, Sean White
The Americas lost two gladiators to retirement this past week. Puma centre Tiesi and Canadian scrumhalf White hung up their boots, both doing so prematurely. Aged just 31 and 28 the players have ended their playing careers. Tiesi played at Rugby World Cups 2007 and 2011 while White appeared in the latter of the two. Both were well respected as quality athletes and achieved positive results at club and international level. Tiesi enjoyed wins over powerhouses including England, France, Scotland, and Wales. White won Gold with Canada 7s at the 2011 and 2015 Pan-Am Games in Guadalajara and Toronto.

Victor Macías
Tucumán club Aguará Guazú is set to lose a player for life. Victor Macías is to receive a 99 year band for bitting an opponent on July 10 in a club match. The act of foul play was so severe that Daniel Contreras had his finger tip bitten off. Contreras recalls that “we both fell on the floor and I felt fire in my hand. I looked and told the referee that he had cut my finger. I looked at the kid and said ‘what have you done, you are crazy’. He still had my finger in his mouth.”

European Pumas
Daniel Hourcade’s Rugby Championship roster proved that he had not been bluffing. The 33-man roster left out leading Argentine players who ply their trade in Europe. Among the missing are Marcos Ayerza, Marcelo Bosch, Manuel Carizza, Patricio Fernández, Juan Figallo  Mariano Galarza, Juan Imhoff. All are coming off strong seasons in the Aviva Premiership or Top 14 and merit selection. Some to have departed since Rugby World Cup 2015 have paid the price. Indeed Juan Pablo Orlandi and Joaquín Paz would very likely have made the cut ahead of Enrique Pieretto and Gabriel Ascárate respectively.

BC Bears
Oh, how the mighty have fallen. The 2016 Canadian Rugby Championship was forgettable for the Bears. The Western Canadians finished the season with just one competition point and looking disheveled on their Eastern road trip. The days of being the hotbed of Canadian rugby now look long gone. While the Blues, Wolf Pack, and even the Rock put forth their best BC still struggles to find an identity in the CRC. Their last MacTier Cup win was in 2009, and remains the only time the team has won in the eight years of the existing format.

Canadian Rugby Championship
It may seem harsh after a good day of rugby, but the league has failed miserably off the pitch this season. Team lists have been released just hours before matches and in some cases not at all. The only media out of official sources has been piecemeal and yesterday’s final match wasn’t even streamed live. In 2016 that is simply inexcusable for a so-called flagship competition. Rugby Canada, the league, and every team must share in the blame. The players have done their part, but the administration has let them down spectacularly.

Tomás Cubelli
The stellar season of Tomás Cubelli for the Brumbies has ended. Australia’s best Super Rugby franchise was eliminated by the Highlanders in the first quarter final on Friday. As such Cubelli will play no part in the Super Rugby Semi Finals. He is to now join up with the players selected from Los Jaguares for the Rugby Championship. Indeed, Cubelli is the only player not based in Argentina who will play in the Southern Hemisphere showcase competition.

Gonzalo Garcia
Gonzalo Garcia have moved from the Guinness Pro 12 to the Fédérale 2, France’s fourth division. The 32-year-old has made the transition from Zebre in the Guinness Pro 12 to Stade Cadurcien (Cahors). In leaving Zebre he is, presumably, ending his international career. Garcia earned 44 caps for Italy, doing so after turning down selection for the Argentina XV. The Mendoza midfielder went on to play in Rugby World Cups 2011 and 2015. He qualified for the Azzurri via his Italian grandparents.