Cóndores Roster Named for Chile’s Inaugural Rugby World Cup

The first-ever Chilean roster for a Rugby World Cup has been named. Head Coach Pablo Lemoine unveiled a roster containing 30 players for the upcoming tournament in France. Three additional players will be added to Los Condores’ roster.

All 30 players on Chile’s roster learned their rugby in Chile. The squad is entirely made up of home-grown players. The roster is heavily based on Selknam. The professional Chilean team was established following RWC 2019. Selknam debuted with a win over Peñarol in the 2020 Súper Liga Americana de Rugby (SLAR).

Selknam competed in SLAR 2020, SLAR 2021, SLAR 2022 and Super Rugby Americas (SRA) 2023. The 2023 competition was rebranded. Selknam was experimental throughout the SRA 2023 season.

Chile’s captain is flanker Martín Sigren. He played for Selknam in 2020-2022 before moving to England. He played this past season for the Doncaster Knights. Prop Matías Dittus is similar only be moved from Selknam to Club Athlétique Périgueux in France. Fullback Iñaki Ayarza plays in the Pro D2 for Soyaux Angoulême XV in the Pro D2.

Former French Top 14 and New Zealand NPC second-rower Pablo Huete is included. He had a solid season for Selknam. Instances of additional former foreign-based professional players include Clemente Saavedra, Marcelos Torrealba, and Pablo Casas.

No player has reached the mark of 50 test caps. Veteran center José Ignacio Larenas is the most capped with 47. Flanker Ignacio Silva is second with 38 caps. Scrum-half Benjamín Videla is on the roster despite being uncapped. He has previously appeared for the Chile XV at both fly half and wing.

The Chilean roster also contains some notable absentees. Loose head prop Vittorio Lastra is missing as is Toronto Arrows front-rower Ramón Ayarza. The names of Selknam second-rower Augusto Sarmiento, and flankers Joaquín Milesi and Thomas Orchard are also missing as are wingers Cristobal Game and Gaspar Moltedo.

Los Cóndores have played three of their four Rugby World Cup warm-up matches. Chile started against Uruguay in Montevideo, then returned home to host the Argentina XV in the Antofagasta and hosted Namibia this past Saturday in Valparaíso. Los Cóndores’ remaining warm-up will be against the Argentina XV in Temuco on August 26.

Chile will make their Rugby World Cup debut this year. Los Cóndores will face Japan first up in Toulouse. Following matches will be against Samoa, England, and Argentina. The match against Argentina will be the first-ever all-South American fixture in a Rugby World Cup.

 

CHILE ROSTER – RUGBY WORLD CUP 2023

LOOSE HEAD PROP
Javier Carrasco (Selknam) – 19 caps
Salvador Lues (Selknam) – 11 caps

HOOKER
Augusto Bohme (Selknam) – 22 caps
Tomás Dussaillant (Selknam) – 37 caps
Diego Escobar (Selknam) – 5 caps

TIGHT HEAD PROP
Matías Dittus (Club Athlétique Périgueux, FR) – 21 caps
Iñaki Gurruchaga (Selknam) – 11 caps
Esteban Inostroza (Selknam) – 1 cap

SECOND-ROW
Javier Eissmann (Selknam) – 21 caps
Pablo Huete (Selknam) – 30 caps
Santiago Pedrero (Selknam) – 6 caps
Augusto Sarmiento  (Selknam) – 15 caps

BACK-ROW
Alfonso Escobar (Selknam) – 18 caps
Raimundo Martínez (Selknam) – 10 caps
Clemente Saavedra (Selknam) – 20 caps
Martín Sigren (Doncaster Knights, UK) – 27 caps
Ignacio Silva (Selknam) – 38 caps

SCRUM-HALF
Lukas Carvallo (Selknam) – 6 caps
Marcelo Torrealba (Selknam) – 12 caps
Benjamín Videla (Selknam) – uncapped

FLY HALF
Rodrigo Fernández (Selknam) – 23 caps
Santiago Videla (Selknam) – 25 caps

CENTER
Pablo Casas (Selknam) – 15 caps
Matías Garafulic (Selknam) – 12 caps
José Ignacio Larenas (Selknam) – 47 caps
Domingo Saavedra (Selknam) – 24 caps

WING
Franco Velarde (Selknam) – 16 caps
Nicolás Garafulic (Selknam) – 19 caps

FULLBACK
Iñaki Ayarza (Soyaux Angoulême XV Charente, FR) – 14 caps
Francisco Urroz (Selknam) – 11 caps

 

WORLD CUP WARM-UP – CHILE

Jul 29    26-25 (Montevideo, UY)

Aug 05 13-40 (Antofagasta, CL)

Aug 12  26-28 (Valparaíso, CL)

Aug 26     vs       (Temuco, CL)

 

RUGBY WORLD CUP 2023 – CHILE
September 10 vs (Toulouse, FR)

September 16 vs (Bordeaux, FR)

September 23 vs (Lille FR)

September 30 vs (Nantes, FR)