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Paraguay’s professional rugby team, the Olímpia Lions had a solid 2021 Súper Liga Americana de Rugby (SLAR) season. The team reached the knock-out stages and gave Los Jaguares XV a challenge in the Semi Final.
The Olímpia Lions enter SLAR 2022 as a reputable team. The Paraguayan-based side’s 2021 season and having home matches will work in favor of the team in 2022. Additional factors including notable player recruitment and preparation have the Paraguayan entrant well-placed to begin the 2022 campaign.
The Olímpia Lions roster has been notably altered from that of 2021. Like in 2021, the 2022 roster is a mixture of Paraguayans and Argentines, though who the players are is very different.
A detailed squad list can be seen here.
COACHING STAFF
The Olímpia Lions have fresh coaches for SLAR 2022. Raúl Pérez is now in charge of Spain’s High Performance Center. His replacement is Ricardo Augusto Le Fort. The 56-year-old is a highly reputable name. He played 16 tests at hooker for Argentina from 1990-1995 including starts against Australia and Wales at RWC 1991. Le Fort brings with him years of coaching experience with his work in the scrum being top class.
NEWCOMERS
The 2022 newcomers on the roster are from Argentina and Paraguay. Homegrown center Gianfranco Parodi is one to look out for as is Argentine winger Arturo López and center Franciso Díez. They is eligibile to play for Paraguay via ancestry. Flanker Mariano Romanini is a big-name-signing for the Olímpia Lions. His battles against Los Jaguares XV could be a feature of the season. Scrum-half Facundo Villalba is another notable recruit as are outside backs Matías Sauze and Julián Quetglas.
IMPORTS
There is no shortage of Argentine players on the roster. Mariano Muntaner is well-known to Olímpia Lions supporters; they will be happy that he is back for another season. The club have also done well to keep fellow Argentine Ignacio Inchauspe. Second-rower Agustín Toth, flanker Federico Simondi and fly half Estanislao Arrias are three additional names from Argentina who will contribute notably to the team in 2022.
POSSIBLE STARTING XV
1 – Juan Ávila
2 – Mariano Muntaner
3 – Enrique Quinteros
4 – Agustín Toth
5 – Mariano Garcete
6 – Mariano Romanini
7 – Federico Simondi
8 – Ignacio Gandini
9 – Ignacio Inchauspe
10 – Estanislao Arrías
11 – Julián Quetglas
12 – Sebastián Urbieta
13 – Francisco Díez
14 – Matías Sauze
15 – Diego Walter
