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Brazil’s professional rugby team is roaring to compete in Super Rugby Americas 2024. Os Cobras Brasil Rugby is the CBRu run team which has competed in every edition of the professional South American League.
Super Rugby Americas 2024 will be the fifth edition of the South American professional league. The competition was previously played as the Super Liga Americana de Rugby (SLAR). Os Cobras featured in SLAR 2021-2022 and Super Rugby Americas 2023. The SLAR 2020 season saw Brazil represented by Corinthians.
The Brazilian team will be looking to reach the play-off’s for the first time. The Brazilian side have claimed some victims in past seasons but a lack of consistency has proven to be a regular enemy of Os Cobras. The team will be out for revenge after falling at the last hurdle against the American Raptors. The final round defeat handed the Brazilian side the wooden spoon.
Click here to access the complete 2024 Cobras Brasil Rugby player roster.
Click here to access the Super Rugby Americas (SRA) home page.
SEASON OPENER
Os Cobras will open their season at home on Saturday, February 17. Os Cobras will be up against the reigning two-time Super Rugby Americas champions, Peñarol. The demanding start to the season will then see Os Cobras traveling to Córdoba, Argentina to face Los Dogos in round two. Matches will follow against Selknbam and Yacare in Brazil and Paraguay respectively before facing the Raptors in Colorado in round 5. Os Cobras then have a bye in round six.
COACHING STAFF
There has been no change to the direction of Os Cobras. New Zealander Josh Reeves has been retained as Head Coach for 2024. The 33-year-old played for Brazil after marrying a Brazilian and moving to the country to subsequently qualify via three-years residency. Reeves is a native of Christchurch and comes from the Shirley Rugby Club in the eastern suburbs. He previously played for Os Cobras as well as the Utah Warriors in Major League Rugby.
RECRUITMENT
The 34-man 2024 roster contains 24 returnees from Super Rugby Americas 2023. A notable addition this season is Lorenzo Massari Temer, a relative of former President Michel Temer. He learned his rugby in Italy and played for notable teams such as Calvisano. New Zealander Ben Donald returns. He is now capped by Brazil. He was born in England but left at a young age. He played rugby in New Zealand and Brazil prior to adulthood.
28 of the players are capped by Brazil. In other words, every Brazilian eligible player on the roster has already played for Os Tupis. This serves as a strong indication of of planning underway for the Rugby World Cup 2027 Qualifiers. Brazil will face Colombia and Paraguay this year.
IMPORTS
In past seasons questions have been raised as to whether more foreigners would better serve the team. After all, Yacare has gone heavy on Argentine players and has consequently achieved better results than Os Cobras. For the 2024 campaign the roster contains 28 players eligible for Brazil and six others. Colombian winger Alain Altahona is back following his impressive season in 2023. The others not eligible for Brazil are from Argentina. Props Luciano Gabellieri, Francisco Moreno, and José Santucho will bolster the front row, in their rookie SRA season. Second-rower Franco Carrera arrives in Brazil from Los Pampas. Wing or fullback Agustin Llano has previously trained with the Pumitas under-18s.
POSSIBLE STARTING XV
1 Brendon Alves
2 Endy Willian
3 Henrique Ferreira
4 Gabriel Oliveira
5 Gabriel Paganini
6 Cléber Dias
7 Adrio de Melo
8 André Arruda
9 Felipe Gonçalves
10 Lucas Spago
11 Alain Altahona
12 Robert Tenório
13 Lorenzo Massari Temer
14 Daniel Lima
15 Lucas Tranquez
