Up and Under

Up and Under is a weekly exclusive on Americas Rugby News. It covers the best and worst from games involving the Americas players and teams over the previous week.

 

UP

USA to open Women’s Rugby World Cup
The match schedule for the 2021 Women’s Rugby World Cup 2021 took place today. RWC 2021 will kick-off with the USA vs Europe 1 on Saturday, September 18. It will be the first of two matches that day in Whangarei. The 12-team tournament will operate on a model of equal preparation and rest time. That is to say that all teams will compete on identical match days. Americas supporters looking to travel to New Zealand for RWC 2021 will have a unique opportunity. The USA vs Europe 1 will be followed by Canada vs Asia 1 at the same venue later that day.

Peñarol
A list of 39 Uruguayans have been nominated by Peñarol for the 2021 SLAR season Among the experienced players are 11 members of the RWC 2019 team. Peñarol’s roster also contains five Argentine players, namely tighthead prop Facundo Pomponio, second row Nahuel Milan, back row Conrado Roura, and halfbacks Manuel Nogués and Martín Roger.

Selknam
At the same time 35 Chileans and 5 Argentines have been named on Selknam’s roster. New players this season include Argentina XV lock Santiago Portillo and Pumas Sevens back Maximiliano Filizzola. Chileans returning from abroad include loosehead prop Ramón Ayarza and midfielder Franco Velarde.

Jaguares XV
Head coach Ignacio Fernández Lobbe will have an impressive group to work with. Seven are capped Pumas, with five uncapped members of Argentina’s Tri Nations squad are also named. The roster also makes room for several members of the Argentina u20 training group who did not take the field in 2020.

Argentine International Exports
Argentine players remain in high demand. This is true not only by professional rugby clubs but also in terms of eligibility. Both Italy and Spain named their rosters this past week. Italian name former Argentina XV center Juan Ignacio Brex. He qualifies via the Olympic loophole. Additional players on the Benetton roster are also being groomed to play for Italy. Spain’s roster contains six Argentine players. Of them Facundo Domínguez is the one newcomer. The former Argentine u20 No8 is now in the plans for Spain’s upcoming RWC 2023 qualifiers.

MLR Recruitment
This past week also saw also plenty of player recruitment in Major League Rugby. Australian hooker Hugh Roach is on his way to Austin, Old Glory DC signed Canadian international Luke Campbell and Houston signed Fijian Veramu Dikidikilati, and re-signed Van Stewart, Zachary Short, and Max Tacket. Seattle Seawolves retained scrum-half JP Smith and wing David Busby. Meanwhile a supplementary draft was held to disperse Dallas players and a handful of collegiate athletes.

Marcelo Rodríguez
Marcelo Rodríguez is the new SANZAAR chairman. The current Argentina Rugby Union (UAR) president replaces New Zealander Brent Impey. South Africa Rugby proposed Rodríguez for the role. It was quickly approved by the remaining SANZAAR (South Africa, New Zealand, Australia, and Argentina Rugby) representatives. It will be a third senior role for Rodríguez. He became head of Argentine Rugby in April 2018. Prior to that he was President of Sudamérica Rugby beginning in 2016.

 

UNDER

Shawn Riley
NOLA Gold confirmed the death of winger Shawn Riley. The 30-year-old Wooster, Ohio, native passed away on Tuesday evening after experiencing severe complications following heart surgery. The news comes as a shock to the rugby community with Riley playing with the Aviators in their return at the World Tens Series event in Bermuda just three months ago.

Evan Olmstead
Olmstead is sidelined until at least April with an ankle injury. The Canadian second-rower was hurt in Biarritz’s win over Montauban in January. Assessments from the medical staff have concluded that he will need at last three months to recover. It’s a savage blow to the promotion plans of Biarritz, for whom Olmstead has been a key figure this season.

San Diego Legion
The Legion confirmed a shock move to Las Vegas for the 2021 MLR season. An official announcement on social media noted that due to the impact of COVID-19 in Southern California, the team will not be able to play at their home venue of Torero Stadium. It is unclear which venue the team will be based at, but reports indicate the team will also train in Nevada during the season.

Brazilian SLAR team
What is the identity of Brazil’s SLAR team? This question has been asked repeatedly and no answer can yet be given. The team played as Corinthians in 2020, though that relationship did not produce any income at all. informing the team name is not the only delay. The player roster remains unconfirmed. Meanwhile, Peñarol, Selknam, and Los Jaguares XV are all fully announced. Both Cafeteros Pro and the Olímpia Lions have confirmed most of their roster members.

Santiago Carreras
In his first start at fullback for Gloucester, Santiago Carreras was forced off hurt. The Puma and Northampton fullback George Furbank clashed heads in an ugly aerial collision. Neither player was able to continue in the contest. A concerned Matías Alemanno helped the Gloucester medical staff with communicating in Spanish to Carreras. Alemanno went on to score a try later in the match. Carreras went on to describe his fellow Córdoba Puma as his older brother.

Sebastián Poet
In a massive blooper, Colomiers literally threw away a victory on Thursday. They were leading with time up, yet a comedy of errors saw Biarritz claiming an unthinkable try to win the match. All Colomiers need to do was kick the ball out. There were many culprits; among them was Sebastián Poet. The Argentine fly half lost the ball while being tackled.

#PROD2 – L'image de la J18

Jouer au jeu de la patate chaude quand la sirène vient de sonner c'est courir le risque de se faire sanctionner 🚨🥔et à ce jeu là c'est le @BOPBweb qui a la frite 🍟 pic.twitter.com/vYQQdQCO1O

— Rugby PRO D2 (@rugbyprod2) January 28, 2021