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An impressive 39 Americas players have been registered for the premier European club competitions kicking off this weekend – the Champions Cup and Challenge Cup. Clubs from the French Top 14, the English Premiership, and the Guinness Pro 14 battle it out for European supremacy across two tiers of competition that will run through to May.
Five countries are represented with Argentina providing more than half followed by the USA, Canada, and one each from Colombia and Uruguay. Rather than go through each pool this season we will look review the participants by country.
ARGENTINA (24)
As the only top tier side from the Americas it’s to be expected that they contribute the most number of players. Of the 23 registered seven are uncapped. Front rowers Facundo Gigena, Ignacio Calles, and Eduardo Bello have represented the Argentina XV, as has midfielder Juan Ignacio Brex. The others are hooker Santiago Socino, flanker Guido Volpi, and inside center Nicolás de Battista, the latter a former national age-grade captain.
Mariano Galarza has completed his move to Bordeaux Bègles from Gloucester and Facundo Isa is named despite being injured. Nicolás Sánchez is also registered for Stade Francais, who he will join in December. Of note is that Felipe Ezcurra has not been registered by Leicester Tigers after joining the team on a short-term contract earlier this month.
A further five players are set to contest the third-tier Continental Shield. Prop Romulo Acosta, second row Pedro Ortega, and utility back Joaquín Riera are with Petrarca Padova. Calvisano have Facundo Panceyra Garrido as a center or wing option, and Rovigo have fullback Diego Antl on their books.
| POS | NAME | CLUB | DIVISION (POOL) |
| LH | Facundo Gigena | Leicester Tigers | Champions Cup (4) |
| LH | Lucas Noguera Paz | Bath | Champions Cup (1) |
| HO | Tomás Baravalle | Benetton Treviso | Challenge Cup (5) |
| HO | Facundo Bosch | Agen | Challenge Cup (5) |
| HO | Ignacio Calles | Pau | Challenge Cup (2) |
| HO | Santiago Socino | Newcastle Falcons | Champions Cup (5) |
| TH | Eduardo Bello | Zebre | Challenge Cup (4) |
| TH | Gastón Cortes | Leicester Tigers | Champions Cup (4) |
| TH | Juan Figallo | Saracens | Champions Cup (3) |
| TH | Francisco Gómez Kodela | Lyon | Champions Cup (3) |
| TH | Ramiro Herrera | Stade Français | Challenge Cup (2) |
| LO | Manuel Carizza | Lyon | Champions Cup (3) |
| LO | Mariano Galarza | Bordeaux Bègles | Challenge Cup (3) |
| FL | Guido Volpi | Ospreys | Challenge Cup (2) |
| N8 | Facundo Isa | Toulon | Champions Cup (5) |
| FH | Patricio Fernández | Clermont Auvergne | Challenge Cup (1) |
| FH | Nicolás Sánchez | Stade Français | Challenge Cup (2) |
| FH | Benjamín Urdapilleta | Castres | Champions Cup (2) |
| CE | Marcelo Bosch | Saracens | Champions Cup (3) |
| CE | Juan Ignacio Brex | Benetton Treviso | Challenge Cup (5) |
| CE | Nicolás de Battista | Zebre | Challenge Cup (5) |
| CE | Juan Pablo Socino | Edinburgh | Challenge Cup (5) |
| WI | Santiago Cordero | Exeter Chiefs | Champions Cup (2) |
| WI | Juan Imhoff | Racing 92 | Champions Cup (4) |
USA (9)
It’s a very healthy numbers for the USA, with only one of the group uncapped. 18-year-old David Ainu’u is named in the Toulouse squad having recently signed a new contract with the club. He plays both sides of the front row but is listed as a loosehead prop.
Titi Lamositele will cover tighthead to start for Saracens who are dealing with an injury to Juan Figallo. Champions Cup Pool 3 is of particular interest with five Eagles split between three clubs. Paul Lasike should make his European debut when he recovers from concussion, and David Tameilau is looking for the same after being registered by Glasgow Warriors.
Left out of the Newcastle squad is Eagles tighthead Paul Mullen who recently made his Premiership debut as a replacement against Wasps.
| POS | NAME | CLUB | DIVISION (POOL) |
| LH | David Ainu’u | Toulouse | Champions Cup (1) |
| HO | Joe Taufete’e | Worcester Warriors | Challenge Cup (2) |
| TH | Titi Lamositele | Saracens | Champions Cup (3) |
| LO | Greg Peterson | Glasgow Warriors | Champions Cup (3) |
| N8 | Samu Manoa | Cardiff Blues | Champions Cup (3) |
| N8 | David Tameilau | Glasgow Warriors | Champions Cup (3) |
| FH | AJ MacGinty | Sale Sharks | Challenge Cup (3) |
| CE | Paul Lasike | Harlequins | Challenge Cup (5) |
| WI | Blaine Scully | Cardiff Blues | Champions Cup (3) |
CANADA (4)
It’s a struggle to find Canadians in either competition, with star wingers Taylor Paris and DTH van der Merwe flying the flag in the Champions Cup. Some good news is that academy members Matt Tierney and Matt Beukeboom have both been registered by Pau for their Challenge Cup campaign. Tierney has made seven previous appearances including one start but this will be the first chance for Beukeboom to crack the senior squad.
| POS | NAME | CLUB | DIVISION (POOL) |
| TH | Matt Tierney | Pau | Challenge Cup (2) |
| LO | Matt Beukeboom | Pau | Challenge Cup (2) |
| WI | Taylor Paris | Castres | Champions Cup (2) |
| WI | DTH van der Merwe | Glasgow Warriors | Champions Cup (3) |
COLOMBIA (1)
The Tucanes are represented by their most prominent export in Andrés Zafra. At just 22 years old he has already impressed this season as a lock or blindside flanker in the Top 14.
| POS | NAME | CLUB | DIVISION (POOL) |
| LO | Andrés Zafra | Agen | Challenge Cup (5) |
URUGUAY (1)
Standing at the other end of the spectrum is the 37-year-old Teros legend. This will be Capo Ortega’s 16th European campaign having missed out only once since his Castres debut in 2002. He was rested for the 2015-16 Challenge Cup campaign, instead focusing on the Top 14 where he made 25 appearances.
| POS | NAME | CLUB | DIVISION (POOL) |
| LO | Rodrigo Capó Ortega | Castres | Champions Cup (2) |
