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The COVID-19 pandemic has impacted rugby. In the Americas it means no Americas Rugby Championship or Americas Rugby Challenge in 2020. Great efforts in Montevideo have taken place to enable the 2020 South American 4 Nations.
The South American 4 Nations will comprise the Argentina XV, Brazil XV, Chile XV, and Uruguay XV. The current article addresses the members of the competing teams representing these four teams. It documents who are the Foreign-Born players, how they qualify and is they have prior affiliation to another union.
This article seeks to be fact providing. In search of objectivity, it sets out to be informative. This may (a) provide the reader with information of how players born outside of a country came to represent unions, and (b) the means to determine informed views on player eligibility.
Players obtain eligibility by meeting Regulation 8 as outlined by World Rugby. This can be achieved in one of three ways: (a) country of birth; (b) country where one parent or grandparent was born; or (c) complete 3 years of consecutive residency immediately before representative duty.
There were 130 Foreign-Born players at RWC 2015. The number increased to 144 for RWC 2019. In between the two tournaments World Rugby tightened the residency rule. It was extended by two years from three to five years residency. This was set to begin at the end of 2020, but World Rugby decided to extend it by twelve months, citing disruptions caused by the COVID-19 pandemic.
It must be clarified that the change from three to five years residency was motivated by the number of foreign-born adult players at RWC 2015 and the subsequent qualifying of additional adult players in 2016 and 2017.
Brazil XV (3)
Brazil enters the competition with three foreign-born players. They are of two varieties. First, Laurent Bourda-Couhet has a Brazilian mother and played junior rugby at a young age in both France and Brazil. Second, Devon Müller and Josh Reeves qualified via residency as adults. Both are categorized as ‘project players’. The team also has players who were born in Brazil but were raised abroad. Yan Rosetti grew up in Argentina; Lorenzo Massari was raised in Italy; and the Sancery twins, Daniel and Felipe, grew up in France.
| PLAYER | POS | BIRTH COUNTRY | ELIGIBILITY | OTHER REP. |
| Devon Müller | FL | South Africa | Residency (2020) | – |
| Laurent Bourda-Couhet | SH | France | Parent | – |
| Josh Reeves | FH | New Zealand | Residency (2016) | – |
Chile XV (2)
All players on the Chilean roster were raised in the country. The two players born outside of Chile are Matías Garafulic and Salvador Luis. Garafulilc was born in Brazil but raised in Chile. The 21-year-old Luis was born in Lima, Peru to Chilean parents. The family returned to Chile immediately after his birth. He never lived in Lima and spent all his school years at Craighouse. He plays his rugby for the club of the same name, more commonly known in rugby circles as COBS.
| PLAYER | POS | BIRTH COUNTRY | ELIGIBILITY | OTHER REP. |
| Salvador Luis | LH | Peru | Parent | – |
| Matías Garafulic | CE | Brazil | Parent | – |
Argentina XV (0)
All players on the Argentina XV roster were born in Argentina.
Uruguay XV (0)
All players on the Uruguayan roster were born in Uruguay.
