Argentina’s Ceibos, Chile’s Selknam and three proud soccer brands in Peñarol (Uruguay), Corinthians (Brazil) and Olimpia (Paraguay) will compete over the next three months for regional domination in the new Superliga Americana de Rugby, which starts on Wednesday.
A sixth team, Colombia’s Cafeteros Pro, will join the competition in the last two rounds ahead of their full participation next season, while expressions of interest have already been made from other potential franchises before a ball has even been kicked.
Ceibos join Super Rugby's Jaguares as the second professional team in Argentina, while the other four countries have only just embraced full professionalism.
To ensure the highest playing standards, former Los Pumas head coach Daniel Hourcade has been hired by Sudamérica Rugby as the competition's high performance manager, and he has painstakingly worked with every nation to ensure players are ready for the demands of the tournament.
With the support of World Rugby, overseas players have joined local talent to boost the playing depth of the squads, all within the constraints of a salary cap.
Mentor and missionary
Winger Napolioni Nalaga, who won 21 caps for Fiji from 2008-15 and was a prolific try-scorer in France's Top 14 with Clermont Auvergne and Lyon, is the prized capture of Paraguay’s Olimpia and promises to be one of the stars of the new competition.
“We have been training well, trying to find new combinations,” said Nalaga. “We are really looking forward to the first game and looking at the available talent, we have a good squad.”
Nalaga appreciates his role is to help spread the rugby gospel and help mentor his younger team-mates as well as score tries.
“Rugby is not that famous in this country and we are trying to promote the game, going to functions, schools, whatever we can do, to promote the game and the team.”
Following spells in Fiji, France, England and Russia, Nalaga is happy to pass any knowledge he has picked up along the way, saying “I’ll help the boys in any way I can with my experience in rugby.”
Coached by former Jaguares’ coach Raúl Pérez, Olimpia can also count on Namibian Rugby World Cup 2019 players Damian Stevens and Muhurua Katjijeko and former Puma Manuel Montero.
Rugby World Cup influence
The tournament will start on Wednesday at the Estadio Charrúa, the home of Uruguayan rugby, when Peñarol host Selknam.
It was here that Los Teros qualified for the last two Rugby World Cups and it is fitting that they will be led by Alejandro Nieto, one of 16 Rugby World Cup veterans.
Countrymen Santiago Arata (pictured), Diego Arbelo, Manuel Ardao, Juan Manuel Cat, Santiago Civetta, Agustín Della Corte, Felipe Etcheverry, Federico Favaro, Tomás Inciarte, Joaquín Jaunsolo, Guillermo Pujadas, Mateo Sanguinetti and Andrés Vilaseca join him in being part of the new venture, while Namibians Janry du Toit and Obert Nortjie were also in Japan last year.
The talented duo of Raffaelle Storti and Jerónimo Portela shone in last year’s World Rugby U20 Trophy with Portugal and their rugby education looks set to step up another level over the coming months.
In a squad largely comprising of local players who have come through Los Condores' U20 pathway, Selknam are captained by back-row Ignacio Silva while Tongan Latium Fosita brings with him 32 caps worth of experience.
For Selknam coach, Uruguayan legend Pablo Lemoine, the match represents a quick return to the venue where he set up the high performance centre that laid the foundations for Los Teros' famous victory over Fiji at RWC 2019. He expects the competition to raise standards across the board.
“Start-ups need time to develop, but I am very happy with the job done and the way players have embraced the opportunities given to them,” Lemoine explained.
“The Superliga is very important not only in Chile but to the region as a whole and being involved is a great opportunity to push the game to new limits.”
Pathway to Los Pumas
Córdoba-based Ceibos is full of up-and-coming players, many with experience at World Rugby U20 Championship level, aiming for promotion to Jaguares and eventually the test arena. Lucas Mensa, the surprise selection in Los Pumas’ Japan 2019 squad, is included in the squad coached by Ignacio Fernández Lobbe. They host Olimpia on Friday.
Brazil's Corinthians will have to wait patiently before joining the fray as they have a bye in the opening week.
Coach Fernando Portugal expects the Superliga to have a positive knock-on effect for the respective countries' national teams.
“One of the many goals of the Superliga is that national teams in the region will grow as players are involved in higher quality regular competition. The pathway for players is now clearer," he said.