Olimpia Lions coach Raúl Pérez has named Gabriel Ascárate as captain for the 2020 Súper Liga campaign. The 32-year-old center from the Natación y Gimnasia club in his native San Miguel de Tucumán is one of two Pumas in the squad alongside winger Manuel Montero.
The move is not unexpected. Ascárate is one of the senior players in the squad and assured of his place in the starting XV. He won 18 caps for Argentina between 2007 and 2016 and has professional experience with Carcassonne and Glasgow Warriors. Ascárate was part of the inaugural Jaguares squad in 2016 but did not make a regular season appearance.
Also confirmed is the return of Pumitas prop Thomas Gallo. The 20-year-old loosehead was signed in December but absent from the full roster revealed earlier this month. Gallo has now resolved his conflicts and is back in training with the team in Asunción.