Juegos Bolivarianos 2017 – Men’s Preview

Rugby’s continues growth in the Americas is to experience an additional boost over the coming days. The sport will feature in the 2017 Juegos Bolivarianos 2017 in Santa Marta, Colombia. Rugby 7’s will have international competition from Monday November 20 to Wednesday November 22.

Competing for gold in the men’s division will be five countries – Chile, Colombia, Paraguay, Peru and Venezuela. Of them Chile enter as the raging favorites. Los Cóndores 7’s made history earlier this month, defeating New Zealand in California.

Yet Chile’s path to Gold is not going to be an easy one. Standing in their way is a well-prepared Los Tucanes outfit. The Colombians are better prepared for ever. They trained for the tournament in France. In addition they are at full-strength, missing no players to other activities. Chile, in contrast, are without players involved in the November Internationals.

Chile and Colombia enter as the top two seeds in that order. The battle for third spot is less clear. While Colombia and Chile competed at the 2017 Sudamérica Sevens Series the others did not do so.

The reason for their absence is they missed out on qualifying. Paraguay, Peru and Venezuela competed at the 2016 Norte Sevens. Also involved were Colombia, Costa Rica, Ecuador, El Salvador, Guatemala and Panama.

Colombia won to qualify for the Sudamérica Sevens Series (Punta del Este and Vinã del Mar) while Peru secured a spot at the Seven de Viña del Mar. Peru did so by being runners-up to Colombia. Paraguay were third while Venezuela finished in 5th position.

ROSTERS

COLOMBIA
Camilo Cadavid, Juan José Zapata, Alejandro Vanegas, Jhon Arley Urrutia, José Ricardo Ramírez, Andrés Felipe Alvarez, Jhojan Alexander Ortíz, Sebastián Mejía, José Manuel Diosa, Cristian David Rodallegas, Neider Enrique García, Diver Ceballos, Jorge Luis Acevedo, David Orlando Jaramillo

CHILE
Felipe Brangier, Francisco Javier Metuaze Jarufe, Ignacio Andrés Silva Aninat, Martín Felipe Verschae González, Francisco Tomás Urroz, Julio Christian Blanc, Marcelo Diego Torrealba, Rodrigo Fernández Grossetete, Lucas Westcott Ochagavia, Benjamín de Vidts Lobos, Nicolás Garafulic Schar, Pedro Pablo Verschae

PARAGUAY
Sergio Alvarenga, Diego Argaña, Rodrigo da Rosa, Carlos Plate, Camilo Orrego, Ignacio Murdoch, Horacio Aguero, Gastón Navas, Juan Martín Ortíz, Juan González, Lucas Aguiliar, Hectór Gallosos

PERU
Lucas Barrio de Mendoza, Sebastián del Mastro, Isaias Aysanoa Salazar, Giovanni Martina Lescano, Luis Mauricio Monier, Humberto Zanabria Lopez, José Urritia Soriano, Jonathan Bauza Bueno, Renato Lecca Añorga, Diego Suarez Chavez, Joaquín Tello Rios, Diego Medina Alegre

VENEZUELA
Albert Rudolf Hoeger, Roberto Schafer del Castillo, Wilkinson José Arrieta Aponte, Edwin Jesús Marin Yedra, José Antonio Gastello García, José Javier Rojas Betancourt, Jonas Hussein Roye, Carlos Eduardo Figeroa Romero, Kelving Alexander Cordero Briceño, Luis Martínez, Ramón Antonio Ruiz Pérez, Luis Romero