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Future quickly fading for Super Rugby's most successful expansion team

By Online Editors
Agustin Creevy greets Jaguares team-mate Marcos Kremer after the quarter-final win over the Chiefs (Photo by Marcelo Endelli/Getty Images)

Less than a year since reaching the Super Rugby Final, Argentina’s Jaguares face the risk of collapsing due to the coronavirus pandemic.

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It was 11 months ago that the only Argentine side playing in the Southern Hemisphere’s premier franchise competition fell at the final hurdle, beaten 19-3 by perennial winners Crusaders in New Zealand.

But with the 2020 season now abandoned due to travel restrictions imposed by the global virus outbreak, the Jaguares’ very existence is in doubt.

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Premiership Rugby announces match restart date for suspended 2019/20 season.

While New Zealand and Australia are preparing to launch domestic Super Rugby tournaments after many of their coronavirus containment measures were lifted, Argentina is still under lockdown.

And the Jaguares don’t have the possibility of taking part in a domestic competition even when the lockdown is eventually lifted.

Their only hope of competition would be to join an eventual South African domestic competition, but that would undoubtedly prove costly, particularly given the reduced income from being forced to play in empty stadiums.

“The New Zealand teams will play in New Zealand, the Australians in Australia and the South Africans in South Africa,” said Jaguares captain Jeronimo de la Fuente.

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“The Jaguares are left a bit isolated and we’re waiting to see if we get invited to another competition. It would be difficult but it’s also a possibility.”

Argentina’s rugby union (UAR) has even paved the way for Jaguares players to join foreign sides to allow them to maintain their match fitness.

Wing Emiliano Boffelli has received offers from Paris and English clubs, as have hooker Julian Montoya and centre De la Fuente, while Stade Francais are also rumoured to be interested in second row Guido Petti.

Coach Gonzalo Quesada has also confirmed his time has come to an end with the Jaguares, signing to take over at Stade Francais.

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“I’m going to wait until the last minute to see what decision to take because I’m counting on” the Jaguares, said De la Fuente.

“If an offer needs to come from Europe to help the UAR, I’ll go. It pains me a lot to think that Jaguares won’t exist any more, that they can’t play in Super Rugby.”

Six players, including De la Fuente, will be out of contract at the end of the year anyway.

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‘A lot of uncertainty’

The suspended Super Rugby competition has sparked increased talk of South Africa’s four participating sides potentially joining their countrymen, the Cheetahs and Southern Kings in the European Pro 14 competition that also features teams from Ireland, Italy, Scotland and Wales.

And that could leave the Jaguares on their own and with no-one to play against.

Meanwhile, Paul Tait of Americas Rugby News has stated on Twitter that the Jaguares won’t play any part in Super Rugby 2021, further murkying the waters – though Argentina were set to extend their partnership with the other three SANZAAR nations until 2030 but that’s now all up in the air due to coronavirus.

One possible option would be to join the newly-created – and almost instantly suspended – Superliga Americana de Rugby that included fellow Argentines Ceibos as well as teams from Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Paraguay and Uruguay.

Jaguares, though, would be on a totally different level to any of those.

Former Jaguares wing Juan Manuel Leguizamón, who now plays in the United States, told Millennium Sports “this generates sadness.”

“I’ve spoken to quite a few players and they’re waiting for a solution. There are 35 or 40 contracts that will disappear,” he said.

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Optimism

Losing their Super Rugby representatives would be a huge blow for Argentine rugby, which fought for many years to be invited to the top table of rugby’s yearly competitions.

Finishing third at the 2007 World Cup and then reaching the 2011 quarter-finals allowed Argentina to be welcomed into the former Tri-Nations in 2012 to form The Rugby Championship alongside Australia, New Zealand and South Africa.

Four years later, the Jaguares were admitted to Super Rugby.

“We thought very carefully about the Jaguares project, it was growing and we reached a great position that we had dreamed of,” said UAR president Marcelo Rodriguez

“One way or another, they will be in a competition that will be sustainable for the UAR from an economic and financial point of view.”

– with AFP

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A
Adrian 57 minutes ago
Will the Crusaders' decline spark a slow death for New Zealand rugby?

Thanks Nick The loss of players to OS, injury and retirement is certainly not helping the Crusaders. Ditto the coach. IMO Penny is there to hold the fort and cop the flak until new players and a new coach come through,…and that's understood and accepted by Penny and the Crusaders hierarchy. I think though that what is happening with the Crusaders is an indicator of what is happening with the other NZ SRP teams…..and the other SRP teams for that matter. Not enough money. The money has come via the SR competition and it’s not there anymore. It's in France, Japan and England. Unless or until something is done to make SR more SELLABLE to the NZ/Australia Rugby market AND the world rugby market the $s to keep both the very best players and the next rung down won't be there. They will play away from NZ more and more. I think though that NZ will continue to produce the players and the coaches of sufficient strength for NZ to have the capacity to stay at the top. Whether they do stay at the top as an international team will depend upon whether the money flowing to SRP is somehow restored, or NZ teams play in the Japan comp, or NZ opts to pick from anywhere. As a follower of many sports I’d have to say that the organisation and promotion of Super Rugby has been for the last 20 years closest to the worst I’ve ever seen. This hasn't necessarily been caused by NZ, but it’s happened. Perhaps it can be fixed, perhaps not. The Crusaders are I think a symptom of this, not the cause

7 Go to comments
T
Trevor 3 hours ago
Will forgotten Wallabies fit the Joe Schmidt model?

Thanks Brett.. At last a positive article on the potential of Wallaby candidates, great to read. Schmidt’s record as an international rugby coach speaks for itself, I’m somewhat confident he will turn the Wallaby’s fortunes around …. on the field. It will be up to others to steady the ship off the paddock. But is there a flaw in my optimism? We have known all along that Australia has the players to be very competitive with their international rivals. We know that because everyone keeps telling us. So why the poor results? A question that requires a definitive answer before the turn around can occur. Joe Schmidt signed on for 2 years, time to encompass the Lions tour of 2025. By all accounts he puts family first and that’s fair enough, but I would wager that his 2 year contract will be extended if the next 18 months or so shows the statement “Australia has the players” proves to be correct. The new coach does not have a lot of time to meld together an outfit that will be competitive in the Rugby Championship - it will be interesting to see what happens. It will be interesting to see what happens with Giteau law, the new Wallaby coach has already verbalised that he would to prefer to select from those who play their rugby in Australia. His first test in charge is in July just over 3 months away .. not a long time. I for one wish him well .. heaven knows Australia needs some positive vibes.

21 Go to comments
B
Bull Shark 7 hours ago
Jake White: Are modern rugby players actually better?

Of the rugby I’ve born witness to in my lifetime - 1990 to date - I recognize great players throughout those years. But I have no doubt the game and the players are on average better today. So I doubt going back further is going to prove me wrong. The technical components of the game, set pieces, scrums, kicks, kicks at goal. And in general tactics employed are far more efficient, accurate and polished. Professional athletes that have invested countless hours on being accurate. There is one nation though that may be fairly competitive in any era - and that for me is the all blacks. And New Zealand players in general. NZ produces startling athletes who have fantastic ball skills. And then the odd phenomenon like Brooke. Lomu. Mcaw. Carter. Better than comparing players and teams across eras - I’ve often had this thought - that it would be very interesting to have a version of the game that is closer to its original form. What would the game look like today if the rules were rolled back. Not rules that promote safety obviously - but rules like: - a try being worth 1 point and conversion 2 points. Hence the term “try”. Earning a try at goals. Would we see more attacking play? - no lifting in the lineouts. - rucks and break down laws in general. They looked like wrestling matches in bygone eras. I wonder what a game applying 1995 rules would look like with modern players. It may be a daft exercise, but it would make for an interesting spectacle celebrating “purer” forms of the game that roll back the rules dramatically by a few versions. Would we come to learn that some of the rules/combinations of the rules we see today have actually made the game less attractive? I’d love to see an exhibition match like that.

29 Go to comments
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