Americas Rugby News Rugby news from across the Americas!
There is an ongoing player exodus from Argentina. Players from the Súper Liga Americana de Rugby (SLAR) have been recruited to continue their careers abroad. Player movement has seen Jaguares XV players in addition to Argentine players who played for other SLAR teams, departing for Europe.
The exodus follows that from Super Rugby in 2020. Many Jaguares players departed Argentina to continue their careers abroad. So much so that three of the twenty-three players involved in the 2019 Super Rugby Final against the Crusaders remain in Argentina today.
2020 also saw the SLAR season cut short. Recruitment for the 2021 SLAR season saw many Ceibos players departing. The exodus saw far more than players merely moving from Los Ceibos to Los Jaguares XV.
SLAR’s 2021 try man, Sebastián Cancelliere will continue his career in Scotland. He will do so in the United Rugby Championship. The competition is the rebranded Pro 14. He will be playing for the Glasgow Warriors and doing so alongside Domingo Miotti and Enrique Pieretto. The trio all featured in the 2019 Super Rugby Final.
The United Rugby Championship will also be the new home of Tomás Albornoz. Tucumán fans will have plenty to look forward to as the fly half plays for Benetton and Miotti plays for Glasgow. Albornoz was the starting fly half for Los Jaguares XV in 2021. Miotti joins Glasgow from the Western Force.
Movement has also seen Jaguares XV players departing for France. Santiago Chocobares went from Los Jaguares XV to Toulouse earlier this year. He went on to start in the Top 14 Final, thereby becoming a French champion. He did so with former Jaguar Juan Cruz Mallía also starting.
Toulouse were winners over La Rochelle. The club features former Jaguares hooker Facundo Bosch. Recruitment for the new season has seen Joel Sclavi signed from Los Jaguares XV. One of the players that he had game time alongside in SLAR is Federico Wegrzyn. He has joined Provence Rugby. The Pro D2 will also be home to hooker Martín Vaca.
2021 Pro D2 champions Perpignan have been busy in recruiting for the 2021-2022 season. Patricio Fernández and former Jaguares captain Jerónimo de la Fuente featured in the Pro D2 Final. They will be joined by three more Argentines for the new season. Former Jaguares Bautista Delguy and Martín Landajo arrive from Bordeaux and the Harlequins respectively. Joaquín Oviedo will join them from Los Jaguares XV.
Jaguares XV players have also been targeted by teams from the Italian Top 10. Inside center Teo Castiglioni has signed for Valorugby Emilia and N8 Tomás Bernasconi will play for Calvisano.
The 2021 SLAR player exodus is different to both that from Super Rugby and Los Ceibos in 2020. Players have departed more than just Los Jaguares XV. Player transfers have also come with Argentine players from rival SLAR teams being recruited by foreign teams.
Olímpia Lions fly half Máximo Ledesma will continue his career for Lyons Piacenza in Italy. The club has also recruited second-rower Santiago Portillo from Selknam. Both players are from Tucumán.
Loose head prop, and former Puma, Javier Díaz will also be playing in Italy. Díaz is on his way to Valorugby Emilia. He will thus join Jaguares XV players Teo Castiglioni and Tomás Bernasconi.
Díaz and Lucas Favre both played at prop for the Olímpia Lions in 2021. Favre and flanker Lucas Santa Cruz will remain teammates; albeit, they will be playing in Spain for El Salvador rather than for the Paraguayan SLAR franchise.
Los Cafeteros Pro fullback Facundo Ferrario will continue his career in Italy. He signed for Rovigo. His teammate in the Colombian team, Gonzalo García will also add further to the Argentine contingent at Valorugby Emilia.
Lyons Piacenza will also have more than one new recruit from Argentina. Maximiliano Filizzola is on his way to Lyons Piacenza following his season with Selknam.
Colorno have signed Mauro Rebussone. He joins following a strong season for the Olímpia Lions. The team has also added a name who was missing from SLAR despite his abilities: Gregorio del Prete. del Prete started for Los Jaguares XV in the 2019 Currie Cup First Division Final.
Os Cobras Brasil XV have said goodbye to Argentine Alejandro Luna. The front-rower will continue his career in Spain. He will do so for Aparejadores Rugby Burgos. Also gone from Brazil is Cobras Head Coach Emiliano Bergamaschi. He will take over on a daunting assignment in the United Rugby Championship. His new role sees him in charge of Zebre.
