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The SLAR player exodus continues. Martín Roger is the latest to leave the South American league. The Argentine fly half is joining Valsugana in Italy. The team play in the Serie A, Italy’s second division. He joins the club immediately and will play in the Serie A for the remainder of the 2021-2022 season.
It is a blow for the Súper Liga Americana de Rugby. Martín Roger was the top scorer of the 2021 season. He was the starting fly half for Uruguayan entrant, Peñarol. The move comes during vacations; Roger happens to have been in Italy at the time of recruitment.
ARN named Martín Roger in the 2021 SLAR All-Stars and noted him as a possible inclusion in Los Pumas for the 2021 July Internationals. As noted, this came with him not playing for Los Jaguares XV but for Peñarol.
The departure of Tomás Albornoz from Los Jaguares XV to Benetton means a new fly half will be required for the Argentine SLAR team. Martín Roger had been a leading candidate; instead, his move to Italy means that Peñarol will also have a different fist-choice fly half. Uruguayan Felipe Etcheverry is the likely player.
The 24-year-old, who is eligible to play for Italy, is from the northern Argentine city of Santiago del Estero. He is a product of the Santiago Lawn Tennis club. Valsugana will be his first foreign rugby club. His contract runs until May. He played the 2021 URBA Top 12 season for CASI, scoring 140 points for the season.
