Americas Rugby News Rugby news from across the Americas!
USA Eagles and NOLA Gold flanker Andrew Guerra will spend several months on the sidelines following a serious injury sustained while playing against New Zealand. The 23-year-old suffered a compound fracture of his lower left leg late in the game against the All Blacks and was released from hospital on Friday after undergoing two surgeries to repair the damage.
Guerra is expected to make a full recovery but could miss the entire 2022 Major League Rugby season. It’s a terrible end to what was otherwise an exceptional year for the 10th overall selection in the 2020 Collegiate Draft. He played 12 games including 11 starts for NOLA in his first season as a professional and earned MLR Rookie of the Year honors.
A surprise selection in the Eagles squad for the July tour to Europe, Guerra made his international debut as a replacement against Ireland. He came off the bench in the both World Cup Qualifiers against Canada and was then rewarded with his first test starts against Uruguay. The replacement appearance against New Zealand gives him 6 Eagles caps.
NOLA will be forced to adjust their plans slightly in the back row though they have a ready-made replacement at No7 in Devin Short. The USA u20 cap was part of the regular loose forward rotation in 2021 after joining from San Diego. Collegiate All-American Malcolm May and new addition Chase Schor-Haskin are among other options to play alongside Eagles pair Moni Tonga’uiha and Cam Dolan.
