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Uruguay’s first professional rugby team, Peñarol has begun announcing its player roster to compete in the Súper Liga Americana de Rugby (SLAR). The roster is heavily based on Los Teros names from RWC 2019 though it is to also contain players from Argentina, Colombia, Portugal, South Africa, and Tonga.
Head Coach Pablo Bouza will be in charge of a team that promises to be a force in SLAR. The roster is young which further supports the argument that Los Teros are well positioned looking ahead to the RWC 2023 qualifiers campaign.
N8 Alejandro Nieto is back from Major League Rugby to play for Peñarol. At 31 he is the oldest Uruguayan player on the roster. His captain from RWC 2019, Juan Manuel Gaminara has decided not to play with he same applying to tight head prop Juan Pedro Rombys.
Joining Nieto in departing the Houston SaberCats for Peñarol are scrum-half Santiago Arata and prop Mateo Sanguinetti. Nieto will have a player-coach position while all eyes are on Arata following his phenomenal performances at RWC 2019.
Another Peñarol signing who is back from MLR is center Andrés Vilaseca. The 28-year-old captained Uruguay in place of Gaminara for the RWC pool match against Australia in Oita.
There are also Teros of the future such as winger Baltazar Amaya. He has been confirmed by Peñarol as completing the rise from the u20s to senior level. Earlier this year he played for Los Teritos in the Junior World Trophy.
Peñarol is yet to announce any of the foreign players. One who is set to be among the confirmed imports is Colombia’s Danny Giraldo. The second-rower is to join the team in Montevideo on January 04. Two other Colombians are also to be named for Peñarol.
For a complete look at the player roster click here.
PENAROL ROSTER – 2020
Forwards: Mateo Sanguinetti, Joaquín Jaunsolo, Marco Genco (Argentina), Diego Arbelo, Ignacio Péculo, Ezequiel Ramos, Guillermo Pujadas, Obert Nortjé (Namibia), Danny Giraldo (Colombia), Juan Juan Garese, Manuel Rodríguez, Santiago Civetta, Manuel Ardao, Leandro Segredo, Alejandro Nieto
Backs: Santiago Arata, Alfredo Pueyrredón (Argentina), Jerónimo Portela (Portugal), Andrés Vilaseca, Janry du Toit (Namibia), Tomás Inciarte, Juan Manuel Cat, Agustín Della Corte, Baltazar Amaya, Nicolás Freitas, Raffaele Storti (Portugal), Felipe Etcheverry, Federico Favaro
