Up and Under

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

UP

Nicaragua
Nicaragua Rugby has achieved Federation status. The Federacion Nicaraguense de Rugby is now an official acknowledged governing body. The feat is a critical development in the expansion of the sport throughout Central America. Nicaragua’s national men’s side is Los Tiburones. The Sharks played test rugby against Costa Rica, Guatemala and Panama in 2017. El Salvador and Honduras missed that year’s South American C Championship only to turn in 2018. Developments in Nicaragua point to increased international competition in Central America.

Concepción High Performance Center
34 players have been named to train at Concepción’s High Performance Center. The new facility is part of a combined effort between the Chile Rugby Federation and Sudamérica Rugby. The facilities in Concepción are to be one of four rugby High Performance Centers nationwide. The three others are to be in Santiago (Metropolitan), Viña del Mar (Coastal) and Arica or Antofagasta (North). Juan Cruz Freitas, Rafael del Río, and Rafael Ruiz are to be responsible for the players in the Concepción (South) High Performance Center.

Tyler Ardron, Benjamín Urdapilleta
Ardron was a winner in his Top 14 debut. His new club, Castres were 26-22 away winners over Agen. The Canadian captain put in an 80 minute performance. He started the second-row and would not be replaced. He was joined in the team by fellow RWC 2019 Americas representative, Benjamín Urdapilleta. The Puma started at fly half and scored 16 points.

Lucas Mensa and Segundo Tuculet
Week 1 of the Pro D2 took place this past weekend in France. For Lucas Mensa and Segundo Tuculet this meant debuts in the competition for Valence Romans. They enjoyed a winning effort. Their team were 32-19 winnings over Colomiers, who had Sebastián Poet involved at fly half. All three Argentine players started the contest.

Juan Imhoff
Argentina’s leading winger was a try scorer on Saturday. Imhoff crossed for a first half try for Racing 92. The Parisians were 27-23 winners away to Lyon in a Week 1 Top 14 fixture. Imhoff’s 30th minute try opened the scoring for Racing 92. spite his proven excellence, Imhoff is not in Mario Ledesma’s plans for the Rugby Championship. One of the European-based players shortlisted by Ledesma played for Lyon. Francisco Gómez Kodela was a replacement prop.

AJ MacGinty
MacGinty had an impressive afternoon on Sunday. The USA Eagles ace scored 19 points in a 40-31 away victory. Sale conquered Leicester Tigers in the latest in what is an impressive run of form. MacGinty slotted six kicks at goal and was a try scorer. The Sharks are in second position after 18 rounds of the English Premiership season .

Pumas in English Premiership
Former Jaguares Martín Landajo, Agustín Creevy, and Tomás Lavanini all impressed on Saturday. They all stood out in losing performances in the English Premiership. First, Landajo was a try scorer for the Harlequins who lost at home against Bath. Second, Creevy backed-up his try from last Monday by scoring again for London Irish. Third, Lavanini was a busy player around the field and tireless in tight play.

MLR Signings
The biggest news for the league over the past week was the discontinuation of the 14th team proposal, with signing announcement slowing somewhat. Only three new players were confirmed. Old Glory bolstered their front row stocks with hooker James King and tighthead prop Steven Longwell, while New England acquired midfielder Aleki Morris-Lome from Otago. Off the field San Diego has added England supremo Eddie Jones to their staff in an advisory role.

UNDER

Kanaloa Hawai’i
Kanaloa Rugby will not be bringing Major League Rugby to Hawai’i in 2021. The league issued a formal statement on Friday afternoon confirming that the three-month negotiating period had expired without an agreement. MLR will proceed with 13 teams next season. MLR has made it clear they are open to a team in the Aloha State, but despite initial suggestions the group could re-apply in 2022 it now appears highly unlikely that Kanaloa will be given a second opportunity to achieve their Hawaiian dreams.

2020 Rugby Americas North 7s
A decision most will have considered inevitable is now official. The 2020 Rugby Americas North Sevens tournament has now been cancelled. Due to be hosted by the Bahamas in November, the event was set to feature men’s and women’s teams at under-18 level for the first time in addition to the senior draw. The 2019 tournament served as a qualifier for the Tokyo Olympics but with those spots now secured there was no immediate requirement to complete the 2020 event.

World Sevens Series
The Oceania tournaments – Hamilton and Sydney – have been cancelled for the 2020-2021 World Sevens Series season. This further limits game time ahead of the Tokyo Olympics. Three qualification spots are yet to be decided, two in the women’s draw and one in the men’s. Those will be decided in a final qualification tournament on a date to be decided. Competing teams from the Americas include Argentina, Colombia, Jamaica, and Mexico in the women’s draw, and Brazil, Chile, Jamaica, and Mexico in the men’s.

COVID-19 Pumas Testing
Eleven Pumas and two staff members have tested positive for COVID-19. The players are second-rowers Rodrigo Fernández Criado and Lucas Bur; prop Federico Wegrzyn; hooker José Luis González; back rows Tomás Lezana, Javier Ortega Desio, and Bautista Pedemonte; center Juan Cruz Mallía; wingers Emiliano Boffelli and Bautista Delguy, fullback Santiago Carreras. Staff Marcelo Loffreda and Martín Mackey also tested positive.

Joel Sclavi
Los Pumas will not have the services of Joel Sclavi this year. The tight head prop is to undergo shoulder surgery and thereby will not feature in the Rugby Championship. The 26-year-old Sclavi returned from France to sign for Los Jaguares. The move proved successful as he fit in well and shot above the other tight had props to be a prominent weapon in the scrum. It was this area of the game that saw Sclavi highly praised. Moreover, his name was underlined for test duty this year.

Joaquín Tuculet
Joaquín Tuculet and the Unión Argentina de Rugby parted ways on Thursday. Following five years at Los Jaguares the fullback has ended his contract at the age of 31. His decision also sees him departing Argentina’s ongoing Rugby Championship preparations. On Friday he confirmed that he was retiring from Los Pumas. He is linked to a move abroad. One possible destination is the Toronto Arrows and there are State-side teams also chasing the ace fullback. In addition, Bath, the Leicester Tigers and Newcastle Falcons are rumored to be interested in Joaquín Tuculet.

Leicester Tigers
Tomás Lavanini is putting in extremely dedicated performances for the Leicester Tigers. Unfortunately, the team is a shadow of its former self. The team has four out of five games since rugby resumed. On Saturday the Tigers were beaten at home 40-31 by the Sale Sharks. Lavanini was joined by Facundo Gigena from the bench. Later this year a third player, Matías Moroni, will arrive and possibly two others. Leicester certainly could do with Julián Montoya and Joaquín Tuculet.