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International competition in 2018 got underway with Canada vs Uruguay. Vancouver was the setting on January 27 for the first of two fixtures with Montevideo hosting the return match the following weekend.
The matches were two excellent tests. They were competitive with both teams have the opportunity to win. Ultimately Uruguay went on to win both to qualify for RWC 2019 as Americas 2 and send Canada into the uncluttered waters of the Repechage.
In just over two weeks’ time the same two teams will meet again. Their fixture will be an opening round match of the 2019 Americas Rugby Championship. Based on the last three years it is to be hotly tested.
Since the creation of the ARC, Uruguay has had the upper hand over Canada. This is a remarkable turn of events compared to historical results. There have been 12 matches in total between the countries. Uruguay’s first win was in 2002 while Los Teros would not win again until 2017. Having won the past three fixtures the overall record is 8 wins for Canada and 4 for Uruguay.
Uruguay’s streak of three wins has been made possible due to the ARC. The tournament has added meaningful annual competition between the teams.
To up the stakes the Americas 2 and 3 RWC 2019 qualifiers were fitted around the ARC. This saw the 2018 Vancouver fixture counting towards both the RWC and the ARC while the Montevideo fixture was not a part of the ARC.
The opportunity of playing both home-and-away fixtures was successfully converted into something even bigger. There is now room to add further to this to celebrate the rivalry between Canada and Uruguay. Do so by making it the Cudmore-Capó Cup.
The Cudmore-Capó Cup would be a new trophy to be on the line every time in which Canada and Uruguay play test rugby. It will see a version of the Bledisloe Cup coming into existence between the teams ranked 3rd and 4th in the Americas.
The name Cudmore-Capó is an acknowledgement of world class performers from the two countries in the modern era. Both Jamie Cudmore and Rodrigo Capó Ortega are legends in the sport and are well known internationally.
The similarities between the two players are widespread. Both players mainly played in the second-row, both appeared in RWC 2003, both won the French Top 14 title, and both had great longevity as players. Cudmore held down a starting spot for Clermont aged 38 while Capó Ortega turned 38 last month and is Castres’ captain.
The Cudmore-Capó Cup would be a tremendous opportunity for the rivalry both present and into the future. It would make the ARC fixture between Canada and Uruguay even more meaningful.
Having a trophy present for matches between the countries would also be financially attractive with marketing opportunities and the viability of attracting new sponsors.
The use of the Cudmore-Capó Cup would also boost publicity. Within both Canada and Uruguay the attractiveness needs no explanation. It would also gain notoriety within the ARC itself and also gain added interest abroad. It has the means of becoming a leading annual Tier 2 fixture.
The potential that the Cudmore-Capó Cup offers is a win-win situation. As demonstrated in the RWC 2019 qualifiers the means exists for it to be not just an annual match but an annual series. Home-and-away or a two match series are both plausible.
The upcoming match in Montevideo could be the first of two Cudmore-Capó Cup fixtures this year. Game two could be a RWC 2019 warm-up with Canada having home advantage. It could be a summer match in a venue such as Halifax, Ottawa, or Toronto.
For 2020 and beyond there is additional room within the international windows. Either have it immediately before or after the ARC or as part of the June Internationals.
