Americas Rugby News Rugby news from across the Americas!
Súper Liga Americana 2022 runners-up, Selknam will be flying to flag of Chile in Super Rugby Americas 2023. Selknam featured in the three editions of SLAR. The team’s evolution was directly connected to Chile qualifying for the Rugby World Cup.
Selknam were Finalists in SLAR 2022. The Chileans were overpowered by Peñarol in the final, though that is not remembered due to what followed with Chile’s heroics in qualifying for the Rugby World Cup. Some Selknam 2022 players are now abroad.
Click here to access the complete 2023 Selknam player roster.
Click here to access the Super Rugby Americas home page.
COACHING STAFF
Nicolás Bruzzone remains Head Coach of Selknam. The 37-year-old is a former Rugby Sevens player for Argentina. He was uncapped by Los Pumas but did tour with the test team. His playing position was scrum-half. Bruzzone replaced Pablo Lemoine for SLAR 2021 with Lemoine focusing his attention entirely on the test team. The move proved to be successful as Selknam had a solid SLAR 2021 campaign and Los Cóndores made history by eliminating Canada from the RWC qualifiers and by winning an away series over Russia. Then in 2022 came Chile’s greatest accomplishment – beating the USA to qualify for the World Cup.
RECRUITMENT
Selknam’s roster has changed from 2022 to 2023. The foreigners are no longer on the roster with Chile looking wider within the national borders to put together the Selknam roster for Super Rugby Americas 2023. Santiago Videla and Matías Garafulic are co-captains for the campaign. They are joined by a heavy contingent of Cóndores’ players as well as uncapped players. Uncapped roster members are forwards Norman Aguayo, Franco Costantino, Marco López, Esteban Inostroza, Jorge Delgado, Ignacio González, Bruno Saez, Andrés Kuzmanic, Santiago Edwards, Ernesto Tchimino and backs Clemente Armstrong, Gaspar Moltedo, Benjamín Videla, Diego Warnken.
IMPORTS
Selknam’s roster is 100% local. Every player is Chilean. This marks a change from SLAR 2022 wherein there were Argentines and a Uruguayan on the roster. The policy is by design; Chile is in preparations for Rugby World Cup 2023. Super Rugby Americas is all about getting the players ready for the biggest month of their lives when Chile debut at the Rugby World Cup in France in September.
POSSIBLE STARTING XV
1 Vittorio Lastra
2 Diego Escobar
3 Iñaki Gurruchaga
4 Javier Eissmann
5 Pablo Huete
6 Raimundo Martínez
7 Clemente Saavedra
8 Alfonso Escobar
9 Lukas Carvallo
10 Rodrigo Fernández
11 Pablo Casas
12 Matías Garafulic
13 Domingo Saavedra
14 Nicolás Garafulic
15 Santiago Videla
