Nicolás Freitas Out for Six Months

Uruguayan Nicolás Freitas is to undergo surgery. The 30-year-old will be out of action for six months following the operation. This means he will not be involved in no professional rugby in the first half of 2024 including Super Rugby Americas.

The operation will put an end to an ongoing injury. Freitas has been playing despite carrying a tendon injury in his shoulder. The surgery is scheduled for January 15, 2024. It will see him out of action until the mid-year internationals.

Uruguay will play test matches as part of the July 2024 Internationals. The fixtures are yet to be finalized, though it is expected that Uruguay will have home matches against Rugby World Cup 2023 competitors.

Freitas featured prolifically for Uruguay at Rugby World Cup 2023. He impressed with tries and started in all matches for Los Teros. They were against France in Lille, against Italy in Nice, against Namibia in Lyon and against New Zealand also in Lyon. His tries were against France and Italy.

 

Rugby World Cup 2023 was Freitas’ second World Cup. It involved a win as did his inaugural campaign four years earlier in Japan. Freitas was a part of a winning team against Namibia in Nice, France in 2023 and against Fiji in Kamaishi, Japan in 2019.

The importance of Freitas to Los Teros is evident. However, it goes further. Freitas was one of seven players based in France on Uruguay’s World Cup roster. He played for Vannes alongside captain Andrés Vilaseca in France’s Pro D2.

Freitas will not be continuing his career in Vannes. He is presently listed as unattached to a club. It was hoped that he would be included on the Peñarol roster for Super Rugby Americas 2024. Instead, he will sit out the season and focus on being ready for the July Internationals.

 

Freitas played for Peñarol from 2020-2021. He then joined Vannes on a two-year-deal. His time at Peñarol saw him acting as vice-captain when Vilaseca was not involved. Freitas also floated around the back-line. He played outside center, wing and inside center.

Esteban Meneses started Freitas on the wing throughout Rugby World Cup 2023. However, his usual position at Vannes was outside center, very often in tandem with Vilaseca playing inside center. Vilaseca remains at the Pro D2 club on a long-term contract.

Uruguay’s roster was heavily based on Peñarol players from Super Rugby Americas 2023. The 2024 roster is yet to be finalized. Meanwhile, an ongoing Peñarol player exodus means that the team will have a very different look to that of Super Rugby Americas 2023. Freitas’ non-availability comes with center Tomás Inciarte having signed for the Miami Sharks in Major League Rugby.

 

Freitas is a product of Carrasco Polo in Montevideo. He was recruited by Los Jaguares for the 2017 Super Rugby season. He missed out on game time but remained highly active for Uruguay. He went through the Uruguayan junior system before making his test debut against Paraguay in 2014. He has 54 caps for Uruguay.