34 players have been named to train at Concepción’s High Performance Center. The new facility is part of a combined effort between the Chile Rugby Federation and Sudamérica Rugby. The facilities in Concepción are to be one of four rugby High Performance Centers nationwide. The third largest Chilean urban area …

Up and Under is a weekly exclusive on Americas Rugby News. It reviews the best and worst from games involving the Americas teams over the previous week.   UP Colombia Colombia has set a target: qualify for RWC 2031. The ultimate goal is 11 years away and it involves strategic …

Agustín Creevy will make his London Irish debut against Saracens on Monday. The former Pumas captain has been named at hooker in a largely second-string Exiles team that features only one other capped international – Australian center Curtis Rona – in the run-on side. There are two test players in …

Stradey Park in Llanelli was the venue for Argentina’s UK tour match against Wales on November 21, 1998. It was just the fifth test hosted at the famous Scarlets ground, the same venue where Argentina faced Australia in Rugby World Cup 1991 and would play Samoa the following year at …

Austin Gilgronis flanker Michael de Waal is fully recovered from the injury that kept him from making his Major League Rugby debut in 2020. The club has confirmed he will take up the second of his three-year contract signed in September 2019 for the upcoming season. de Waal, 24, arrived …

Rugby Canada have revised their talent identification program in search of new players domestic and abroad to support their national teams. Led by former international flanker Adam Kleeberger, the program expands on work initiated by Director of Athletic Performance Matt Barr and former Player Development Manager Ken Goodland. An online …

Québec flanker Lucas Hotton will play for CMF Floirac in the French Fédérale 1 league this coming season. The news follows an earlier announcement that Rugby Québec was sending 19 of its top players, some Canadian internationals, to play in the Women’s Élite divisions in France. Hotton, 27, was a …

Kurt Morath has re-signed with the Austin Gilgronis for the 2021 Major League Rugby season. Tonga’s all-time leading scorer with 340 points in 38 tests, the New Zealand-born flyhalf gives the AG’s two sets of international halfbacks along with Will Magie and scrumhalves Pele Cowley and Marcelo Torrealba. Morath arrived …

Mitch Wilson has committed to the New England Free Jacks through the end of the 2022 Major League Rugby season. The two-year extension for the 24-year-old utility back is the fifth re-signing confirmed by the club during the off-season. Wilson started four games for the Free Jacks in the shortened …

Colombia has set a target: qualify for RWC 2031. Colombia Rugby (FECO) President Andrés Gómez has clarified a pathway for Los Tucanes. It culminates with Colombia’s men’s test side competing at the Rugby World Cup in eleven years from now. Planning for the longterm is already underway. Colombia have identified …

The San Diego Legion have re-signed dynamic winger Save Totovosau for the 2021 Major League Rugby season. He enters his third season with the team, having proven one of the most prolific finishers in the league with 8 tries scored in 14 games. Totovosau arrived from Australia ahead of the …

Frank Halai will return to Austin for the 2021 Major League Rugby season. The Tongan-born powerhouse enters the second season of his contract signed in September 2019 and joins fellow All Blacks international Jamie Mackintosh on the confirmed list for the Gilgronis. Having been used primarily as a winger both …

Women’s Eagles veteran Bui Baravilala is stepping away from the spotlight at the age of 29 after a decade of representing the USA on the international stage. The Honolulu native first suited up for the national u20 side in 2010 and would go on to achieve senior honors in both …

Old Glory DC have re-signed hooker Timothy ‘Mo’ Katz for the 2021 Major League Rugby season. The Virginia native was the fourth player signed after the club’s founding in 2019, joining from NOVA Rugby. He toured Australia with the Collegiate All-Americans in 2016 while playing for James Madison University. An …

Colombia have identified 50 players for Rugby World Cup France 2023 qualifiers. Los Tucanes will compete in regional qualifiers as they seek to qualify for a historic first RWC appearance. 44 of the players named play their rugby in Colombia. The 6 remaining players are based abroad. Of the foreign-based …

Houston have signed center Moa Maliepo, prop Nikoloz Khatiashvili, and second row Apisai Tauyavuca for the 2021 Major League Rugby season. SaberCats flyhalf Sam Windsor confirmed the news on the latest edition of the MLR Kickoff Podcast. All three arrive from European professional clubs. Maliepo arrives from Romania, most recently …

The Toronto Arrows have confirmed the addition of scrumhalf Jason Higgins for the 2021 Major League Rugby season. He arrives from Cork Constitution, who he helped win All-Ireland League titles in both 2017 and 2019. Also confirmed are the re-signings of lock Mike Sheppard and wing Johnny Sheridan Higgins, 25, …

The San Diego Legion have confirmed that Ben Mitchell is staying with the team for the 2021 Major League Rugby season. It’s the second year of his contract signed in August of last year after the big second row opted to depart Austin Elite for the West Coast. Mitchell has …

A new feature on Americas Rugby News is our selection of Player of the Week. In the absence of sufficient competition to select an Americas team, we will instead nominate exceptional performances from Americas-qualified players for individual recognition. Honorable mention goes to Nicolás Freitas, who was in top form for …

Versatile front rower Brendan Rams has re-signed with the Gilgronis for the 2021 Major League Rugby season. The 31-year-old will play a third season for Austin, first joining the club ahead of the 2019 season after recovering from a long-term knee injury. Despite making 14 appearances in his two seasons …