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The 2022 Súper Liga Americana de Rugby (SLAR) will begin on Saturday, March 05 and conclude on Saturday May 28. The competition will be a six team league with the same competitors from the 2021 competition returning.
The undefeated Los Jaguares XV will be the Argentine entrant. They are up against the 2021 finalists Peñarol (Uruguay) in addition to Selknam (Chile), Olimpia Lions (Paraguay), Cobras Brasil XV (Brazil) and Los Cafeteros Pro (Colombia). No matches will be played in Brazil, Colombia, or Paraguay.
There were suggestions of a second Argentine team joining for 2022 as well as teams from outside of the region; instead, expansion will come no earlier than in 2023.
The opening fixture of the 2022 SLAR season will be a Chile vs Paraguay match as Selknam play host to the Olímpia Lions. A change from 2021 sees some matches spread over more dates. This sees game two being on Sunday, March 06 in Buenos Aires and game three on Friday, March 11 in Chile.
The 2022 season will not be a home-and-away competition. Teams will be based in host centers of Santiago, Buenos Aires and Montevideo. The Semi Finals and Final will also take place in Montevideo.
The 2022 SLAR season will be played over two stages. They will see all teams facing each other twice. In a repeat of 2021, the two four sides will advance to the Semi Finals.
The first stage will be played from March 05-29. All but three of the fourteen matches will be played in Buenos Aires. The three others will be in Santiago with Selknam hosting Olímpia Lions, Os Cobras and Los Cafeteros Pro on March 05, 11 and 29.
The second stage will be played entirely at the Estadio Charrúa in Montevideo. Matches will begin on Sunday, April 17 and conclude on Sunday, May 15. The top four will then compete in the play-offs. Matches dates are Saturday, May 21 and Saturday, May 28.
Player rosters for the 2022 SLAR season are yet to be finalized. There has been notable player movement from certain teams, notably Argentine players moving to continue their careers in Europe. This has affected more teams than just Los Jaguares XV.
The Estadio Charrúa is the one confirmed match venue. Locations in Buenos Aires and in Chile will be announced over the coming weeks.
The 2021 SLAR helped South American test teams prepare for international competition. Uruguay and Chile both impressed in the RWC 2023 qualifiers. Uruguay defeated the USA to qualify as Americas 1 while Chile eliminated Canada to book a spot in the Americas 2 final against the USA in July 2022.
SLAR 2021 – FIXTURES
STAGE ONE – Buenos Aires and Santiago
March 05: Selknam vs Olímpia Lions (5pm)*
March 06: Jaguares XV vs Cafeteros Pro (5pm)
March 11: Selknam vs Cobras XV (8pm)*
March 12: Cafeteros Pro vs Peñarol (4pm)
March 12: Jaguares XV vs Olímpia Lions (8:30pm)
March 18: Cobras XV vs Olímpia Lions (1:30pm)
March 18: Cafeteros Pro vs Selknam (4:00pm)
March 18: Jaguares XV vs Peñarol (9:00pm)
March 23: Cafeteros Pro vs Cobras XV (1:30pm)
March 23: Olímpia Lions vs Peñarol (4:00pm)
March 23: Jaguares XV vs Selknam (8:30pm)
March 28: Olímpia Lions vs Cafeteros Pro (1:30pm)
March 28: Jaguares XV vs Cobras XV (8:30pm)
March 29: Selknam vs Peñarol (8:00pm)*
* Game in Chile
STAGE TWO – Montevideo
April 17: Peñarol vs Cobras XV (5:00pm)
April 22: Cobras XV vs Peñarol (1:30pm)
April 22: Selknam vs Olímpia Lions (4:00pm)
April 22: Jagures XV vs Cafeteros Pro (8:30pm)
April 29: Selknam vs Cobras XV (1:30pm)
April 29: Peñarol vs Cafeteros Pro (4:00pm)
April 29: Olímpia Lions vs Jaguares XV (8:30pm)
May 04: Olímpia Lions vs Cafeteros Pro (1:30pm)
May 04: Peñarol vs Selknam (4:00pm)
May 04: Jaguares XV vs Cobras XV (8:30pm)
May 09: Cobras XV vs Cafeteros Pro (1:30pm)
May 09: Peñarol vs Olímpia Lions (4:00pm)
May 09: Jaguares XV vs Selknam (8:30pm)
May 15: Cobras XV vs Olímpia Lions (1:30pm)
May 15: Cafeteros Pro vs Selknam (4:00pm)
May 15: Peñarol vs Jaguares XV (8:30pm)
May 21: Semi Final (2nd vs 3rd)
May 21: Semi Final (1st vs 4th)
May 28: Final
