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The July 2021 Internationals involving the Americas are set to be changed. The Americas will miss out on hosting incoming tours against European opposition. This will affect Canada and the USA in North America and Argentina, and Uruguay in South America. It means England will not fulfill the scheduled tour to North America and Wales will no longer tour South America.
Test match rugby involving the four Americas countries will be played abroad. In an interview with Welsh Rugby Union CEO Steve Phillips, Simon Thomas reports that Wales’ tour to Uruguay and Argentina is set to be called off. In its place are plans for Wales to host Argentina for two tests in July in Cardiff.
Here is the first installment of the interview with WRU chief executive Steve Phillips, where he addresses Wales’ summer schedule and the thinking behind playing France on a Friday night in next season’s Six Nations.https://t.co/zZm1Lbk845
— Simon Thomas (@simonrug) April 28, 2021
The changes mean that Argentina will miss out on hosting test matches in 2021. Los Pumas’ home games in the Rugby Championship are again going to be relocated; Australia and / or New Zealand will host the tournament. Argentina’s last mid-year home internationals were in 2018 against Wales and Scotland.
Argentina’s next home match will therefore not be until July 2022. However, moving the home series abroad, to Wales in this case, is a sensible alternative. It will see the UAR avoiding paying for the costs of hosting the matches in empty venues. Moreover, the player roster is expected to consist mainly of players who play in the UK and France.
It also means that Los Pumas will tour Europe twice in 2021. Argentina will play three end of year matches in Europe in November. Confirmed at this stage are matches against France and Italy on November 06 and 13 respectively. A third match will be added for the weekend of November 20.
Thomas’ interview also details plans for additional countries from the Americas. It notes that England’s tour to Canada and the USA will also be moved to the UK. Phillips told Thomas that the plans are for Canada and the USA to play matches in London’s Twickenham Stadium in July.
Both Wales and England are seeking to secure three home matches in July. The final match schedule is forthcoming. Argentina’s two test matches remain on the cards against Wales. They will be in Cardiff rather than San Juan and Santa Fé. Wales’ third home match looms as being against either Canada or the USA with both potentially also playing against England.
Canada and the USA will also continue their wait for home internationals. They will play each other in Round 2B of RWC 2023 qualifiers this year. Dates and locations are yet to be finalized.
Uruguay will miss out entirely. The original plans had July 10 as the working date for Uruguay’s home test match against Wales. It was to be positioned before Uruguay hosts round 2A of the South American qualifying matches for Rugby World Cup 2023. With the match called off Uruguay presently is scheduled to face the Argentina XV and two of Brazil, Chile, Colombia, and Paraguay in RWC 2023 qualifiers in July.
