Colombia’s first rugby player to play in France is Andrés Zafra. The 21-year-old joined Lyon from Colombia when he was 19 and is now preparing for the upcoming Top 14 season. Zafra played for Lyon on Friday night. The club faced Grenoble in a pre-season friendly match, running out 26-19 …

A special guest has been visiting Band Saracens this week. 24-year-old Argentine hooker Santiago Iglesias Valdés featured at the team’s training at the Band Arena in São Paulo. Santiago Iglesias Valdés is the older brother of Erick who plays for Band Saracens. Together with his father German and brother Agustín …

The 2017 Nacional de Clubs Champion will be crowned on Saturday. The battle for the ultimate prize in Argentine club rugby will see a Buenos Aires vs Córdoba battle as Hindú and Tala face-off at CASI in Northern Buenos Aires at 3:40pm. Both clubs made it to the final by …

French club giants, Toulon are in Argentina. The three-time European Champions Cup winners are preparing for the upcoming season by playing a two-match series against the Argentina XV. The first of these matches takes place on Saturday at CASI in Buenos Aires. The Argentina XV are using the match as …

It’s another installment of rugby writing from elsewhere across the interwebs. Some required reading on the current USA Rugby situation, the Pro12/14 expansion, Super Rugby, Major League Rugby, the Aviva Premiership, coaching advice, inspiration, and yes, even a little Games of Thrones.   The Case for Change – by Pat …

With the new 2017-2018 season just around the corner clubs across Europe continue with their recruitment. In Spanish the 2017 champions, Valladolid Rugby Asociación Club (VRAC) Quesos Entrepinares has added a former Puma. Tomás Carrió joins the Spanish champions from Italy. Aged 28, Carrió is a former PladAR player. Capable …

Once again we’ve drifted far too long between entries. With so much going on behind the scenes it’s hard to keep track of what’s most important in Canadian rugby right now but in this column we’ll try to focus on the immediate concerns – the Women’s World Cup, the CRC, …

A recent Beach Rugby tournament was a success in St. Lucia, writes Rugby Americas North. Played at Vigee Beach on July 16, the St. Lucia Rugby Football Union hosted the 2017 Carnival Beach Rugby, an annual signature event for the Union. Competing were teams in both the men’s and women’s …

It was another week of slim pickings with only one senior men’s representative match taking place over the weekend. As such this will be an all-Canadian Rugby Championship XV, albeit only between two teams from 80 minutes of play. Thankfully it was a competitive game so we can spread a …

Super Rugby is downsizing. The 2018 season will have 15 teams, down three from 18. There are a variety of motives driving the change, one of which is performance. This raises the question – would two Argentine teams be competitive in Super Rugby? Comparative Performance Los Jaguares completed their second …

The USA Islanders have named a star-studded roster to face Saracens. The teams are to meet in an important fixture for both parties and also for Bermuda. The Island nation will play host to the match on August 10. Saracens are using the occasion as preseason training. The club had …

An Olympic Gold Medal winner is heading to Houston. The Strikers have announced the capture of Fijian sevens captain Osea Kolinisau. With two HSBC Sevens Series titles and more than 1000 career points scored, the 31-year-old is one of his country’s most decorated players of all time. Previously seen as …

Argentine hooker Gonzalo Manso has signed to play for Tarbes. The former Pumas hooker has joins the French third division side on a two-year deal. Now aged 27, Manso makes the move to the Fédérale 1 after playing previously in the Fédérale 2. He joins from Bassin d’Arcachon a club in …

Canadian sevens star Adam Zaruba has signed a three-year contract with the Philadelphia Eagles of the National Football League. The news was announced by the franchise on Monday afternoon following a tryout over the weekend. At 1.96m (6’5″) and 118kg (260lbs), the North Vancouver native has caught the eye in …

The Ontario Blues narrowly defeated the Atlantic Rock by a 24-17 score in Canadian Rugby Championship action on Saturday. Americas Rugby News’ own Bryan Ray was in attendance at Farnham Mill Rugby Park in Truro, Nova Scotia, and managed to come away with an assortment of photos from a full …

Tonga Head Coach Toutai Kefu is feeling upbeat about playing in the Pool of Death. The Pacific Islanders recent qualification for Japan 2019 saw them grouped with Argentina, England, France and the USA. Tonga were the fifth and final team to qualify but the dating task is being greeted with …

Francisco Ferronato has replaced Nicolás Solveyra in the Argentina XV roster. The national ‘A’ side will take-on Toulon this coming Saturday in the first of two fixtures. Solveyra had been named in the roster for the match but has been ruled out through ill discipline. The CUBA prop was red …

Up and Under is a weekly feature on Americas Rugby News which reviews the best and worst from games involving the Americas teams over the previous week. UP Trinidad & Tobago Women Trinidad & Tobago won the Women’s 10’s Champions in Miami on Friday. The Caribbean nation ran out winners …

Samu Manoa is to miss Toulon’s Argentina tour. The USA enforcer has been confirmed as not being considered fit to take part in the upcoming two-match series between Toulon and the Argentina XV. The loss continues what has been an extended lay-off period for the Eagles forward. The 32-year-old’s season …

The Ontario Blues held off a defiant Atlantic Rock side to come away 24-17 winners in their opening round Canadian Rugby Championship fixture at Farnham Mill Rugby Park in Truro, Nova Scotia, on Saturday. After building an ominous 24-0 lead in the first half the Blues saw their chances disappear …