Up and Under

Up and Under is an Americas Rugby News exclusive. It identifies the best and the worst involving the Americas from the past seven days.

 

UP

Maple Leafs overturn Les Bleuets in WXV
Canada capped their inaugural WXV campaign with an impressive 29-20 victory over France in Auckland on Saturday. After falling behind 10-nil early, the Canadians scored 19 unanswered points and then put the game to rest with a storming try from Fancy Bermudez. The result, combined with New Zealand’s heavy defeat to England, means the Maple Leafs will finish in 2nd place in the top division and inch closer to France’s 3rd-overall standing on the World Rankings.

South Americans win Gold and Silver at Pan American Games
A heroic performance from Alejo Lavayén saw Argentina winning Gold at the 2023 Pan American Games in Santiago del Chile. Argentina defeated Chile 24-5 in the Final on Saturday. Lavayén scored a hat-trick as Argentina made it back-to-back Gold Medals at the Pan American Games. Chile’s Silver saw history being made. It marked the first ever rugby medal for Chile in Pan American Games history.

USA Women Claim Historic Gold at Pan American Games
The USA Women’s Eagles won Gold at the Pan American Games. With a 19-12 victory over Canada in the Final, the USA won Bronze while Canada claimed Silver. It marked a medal-double for the Canadians after the Men won Bronze. Canada won Gold and the USA Silver at the two previous editions of Women’s Rugby at the Pan American Games.

Chile Rugby at an All-Time High
Chile’s Silva Medal performance in Santiago 2023 was the first-ever medal for Chile. Los Cóndores 7’s failed to reach the podium at the prior three editions of the Pan American Games which features Men’s Rugby 7’s. A little over a month after Chile faced Argentina at the Rugby World Cup the teams competed for Gold at the Pan American Games.

Brazil Rebound from Lima 2019 to Secure Bronze in Santiago 2023
Brazil joined Canada and champions the USA on the Women’s podium in Santiago. This marked a change from 2019 when Brazil missed out with Colombia winning Bronze. This time around Brazil dominated Las Tucanes. The 47-0 win speaks for itself.

Free Jacks Bring in Chilean Captain
Chile captain Martín Sigren is heading to Major League Rugby. The 27-year-old loose forward has signed on with the defending champion New England Free Jacks. He makes the move after spending last season in the English Championship with Doncaster Knights. Sigren has been an exemplary skipper for the Cóndores since taking over the on-field leadership at the age of just 22 in 2019. He led the side to their first ever World Cup, starting all four games at flanker. A 6’3″ (1.91m) lineout option, Sigren is also comfortable at the back of the scrum.

Petrarca Land Chilean Ace
Chile’s starting fly half from Rugby World Cup 2023 will now continue his career in Italy. Rodrigo Fernández has signed to play for Petraca Padova in Italy’s Top Tier, the Serie A Elite. It is a win-win for club and player. Fernández will be playing regularly alongside Argentines including Thomas Montilla, Gonzalo Hughes, Diego Sebastián Galleto, Mariano Romanini and Marcos di Sanctis. Like Fernández, Romanini and di Sanctis are former Super Rugby Americas players.

Argentines Run in Tries in European Elite
It was a busy weekend in Europe. Bautista Delguy scored for Clermont in the win over Bayonne. Joel Sclavi scored for La Rochelle in a narrow defeat to Oyonnax. Agustín Creevy scored on debut for Sale Sharks and Gerónimo Prisciantelli scored for Zebre against the Bulls. Argentina’s fly half stocks were further boosted with Domingo Miotti impressing for Oyonnax. He kicked a 50-22 from his own 22.

Magnificent Mendy wins it for Benetton
Ignacio Mendy was also a try scorer this weekend in the European Elite. The former Puma scored in the 70th minute for the Italians who defeated the Lions in Treviso on Sunday. Benetton have a 3-2 season record thus far in the 2023-2024 United Rugby Championship (URC). Pumas Thomas Gallo and Tomás Albornoz also both started for Benetton.

Further Strong Showings in Pro D2
Argentine back-rowers Bautista Pedemonte and Francisco Gorrissen were try scorers for Vannes. The club was 14-9 winners over Rouen in an away fixture. Pedemonte’s try came in the final minutes; it proved to be a match-winner. The win sees Vannes comfortably on top of the Pro D2 with 37 points after nine rounds. Charente is second with 28.

 

UNDER

Dewald Kotze and Ciaran Breen Miss Out
Canada will be without two players named on the roster to tour Spain this month. Dropping out are hooker Dewald Kotze and fullback Ciaran Breen. Taking their place are uncapped Austin Creighton and utility back Cooper Coats respectively. Creighton is 23 years old and plays for the Pacific Pride, Canada’s centralized development team that competes domestically in the BC Premier League. Coats, 27, has 9 test caps and is currently a member of the Canada Sevens program

Sour Bronze for Canada at Pan American Games
Canada’s Men finished third at the 2023 Pan American Games. Winning a medal is a reason for celebration; however, with everything that has happened in between the 2019 and 2023 Pan Americans games this result was another wake-up call that Rugby Canada is not acting to ensure the historic status of Canada as an Americas powerhouse continues. Canada won Gold or Silver at the three prior Pan American Games.

USA Miss Out on Medals for First-Time in Pan Am Games History
The USA fell to Chile in the Semi Finals of the Pan American Games. This set-up an all-South American Gold Medal Final and an all-North American Bronze Final. The Eagles fell to Canada in the Bronze Final. The result means the 2023 Men’s Eagles is the first-ever team to miss out on a Medal in the Pan American Games.

Peñarol Player Exodus 
A player exodus is underway from Uruguay. This need not be a bad thing at all; in fact, while Peñarol is losing players to foreign leagues the outcome is more opportunities for other players. Six players from the 2023 Super Rugby Americas champions have signed for teams in either Major League Rugby or in Italy.

Los Angeles MLR Launch
Fans continue to patiently await details of the new Los Angeles team’s identity. What will the team be exactly? The announcement has not been smooth like that of the Miami Sharks. The former Atlanta franchise will be the second team to play in Los Angeles following the defunct Giltinis.