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Future quickly fading for Super Rugby's most successful expansion team
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.
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.
https://twitter.com/Argentina_2027/status/1269009445448753152
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
Comments on RugbyPass
Bold headline considering the Canes and Blues are 1 and 2 and the Brumbies were soundly beaten by the Chiefs and Blues. Biggest surprise is Rebels 4 Crusaders 12 - no one saw that coming. If Aus are improving that’s great 👍
1 Go to commentsAnna, You are right, we need to have patience whilst the others catch up to England and France. Also it is the PWR that has been the game changer for England. the RFU put money into that initially at the expense of the Red Roses. I was sceptical at first but it has paid off in spades.
1 Go to commentsI think Matt Proctor became a 1 test AB in the same fixture. Cameron is quality and has been great this season, can’t believe’s he only 27. Realistically how would he not be selected for ABs squad this year. Only Dmac is ahead of him as a specialist 10. With Jordan out, it will come down to where and when Beauden Barrett slots back in, and where they want to play Ruben Love. Cameron seems an absolute lock in for the wider squad though. Added benefit of TJ-Cameron-Jordie combination at 9, 10, 11 too.
1 Go to commentsFarcical, to what end would someone want to pay to keep this thing going.
1 Go to commentsHavili, our best 12 by a mile, will be in the squad, if he stays fit. JB is the most overrated AB in the last 50 years.
61 Go to commentsWe had during the week twilight footy, twilight cricket, tw golf plus there was the athletics club. Then the weekend was rugby 15s plus the net ball, really busy club scene back then but so much has changed and rugby has suffered. And it was all about changing lifestyles.
6 Go to commentsIn the 70s and 80s my club ran 5 Senior sides plus a Vets. Now it is 2 sides with an occasional 3rd team. Players have difficulty getting to training now, not sure why and the commitment is not there. It seems to me more a problem of people applying themselves and not expecting to turn up and play whenever they want to.
6 Go to commentsROG’s contract is until 2027. The conversation about a successor to Galthie after RWC 2027 may be starting now. We can infer that Galthie’s reign stops then. He is throwing the Irish Coaching Job angle in because he is Irish. The next Irish coach MUST be Leo Cullen. As well as being the best coach available, coaching the vast majority of Irish Internationals week in week out, he has shown incredible skill at recruiting the best coaching staff for the job in hand. That was a failing in France. Cullen is a shrewd guy and if there is a need for foreign coaches underneath him he won’t hesitate. Rightly so. Ireland does need to start to bring Irish coaches through. Not just at the professional level but we need to train coaches to man new pathways for developing kids from schools/clubs up through the divisions.
8 Go to commentsNo Islam says it must rule where it stands Thus it is to be deleted from this planet Earth
18 Go to commentsThis team probably does not beat the ABs sadly Not sure if BPA will be available given his signing for Force but has to enter consideration. Very strong possibility of getting schooled by the AB props. Advantage AB. Rodda/Skelton would be a tasty locking combination - would love to see how they get on. Advantage Wallabies. Backrow a risk of getting out hustled and outmuscled by ABs. Will be interesting to see if the Blues feast on the Reds this weekend the way they did the Brumbies we are in big trouble at the breakdown. Great energy, running and defence but goalkicking/general kicking/passing quality in the halves bothers me enormously. SA may have won the World Cup for a lot of the tournament without a recognised goalkicker but Pollard in the final made a difference IMO. Injuries and retirements leave AB stocks a bit lighter but still stronger. 12 and 13 ABs shade it (Barret > Paisami, Ione = Ikitau, arguably) Interesting clash of styles on the wings - Corey Toole running around Caleb Clark and Caleb running over the top of Toole. Reece vs Koro probably the reverse. Pretty even IMO. 15s Kelleway = Love See advantage to ABs man for man, but we are not obviously getting slaughtered anywhere which makes a nice change. Think talent wise we are pretty even and if our cohesion and teamwork is better than the ABs then its just about doable.
11 Go to commentsCompletely agree. More friday night games would be a hit. RFU to make sure every club has a floodlit pitch. Club opens again Saturday to welcome touch / tag. Minis and youths on Sunday
6 Go to comments1.97m and 105Kg? Proportionately, probably skinnier than me at 1.82 and 82kilos. He won’t survive against the big guys at that weight.
55 Go to commentsThe value he brought to the crusaders as an assistant was equal to what he got out of being there. He reflected not only on the team culture but also the credit he attributed to the rugby community. Such experience shouldn’t be overlooked.
8 Go to commentsGood luck Aussie
11 Go to commentssmith at 9 / mounga 10 / laumape 12 / fainganuku 14
61 Go to commentsBar the injuries, it’s pretty much their top team …
2 Go to commentsDon’t disagree with much of this but it appears you forgot Rodda and Beale, who started at the Force on the weekend.
11 Go to commentsExcept for the injured Zach Gallagher this would be Saders best forward pack for the season. Blackadder needs to stay at 7, for all of Christies tackling he is not dominant and offers very little else. McNicholfullback is maybe a good option, Fihaki not really upto it, there was a reason Burke played there last year. Maybe Havilli to 2nd five McLeod to wing. Need a strong winger on 1 side to compliment Reece
1 Go to commentsTo me TJ is clearly the best 9 in the competition right now but he's also a proven player off the bench, there's few playmaking players who can come off the bench as calm and settled as he is, Beauden can, TJ can and I doubt any of the scrumhalves in contention can, if they want to experiment with new 9s I want him on the bench ready to step in if they crumble under the pressure. The Boks put their best front row on the bench, I'd like to see us take a similar approach, the Hurricanes have been doing similar things with players like Kirifi.
61 Go to commentsROG has better chance to win a WC if he starts training and make himself eligible as a player. He won’t make the Ireland squad but I reckon he may get close with Namibia (needs to improve his Afrikaans) or Portugal. Both sides had 1000:1 odds to win the RWC in 2023 which is an improvement on ROG’s odds of winning a RWC as a coach. Unlike Top 14 teams, national teams can’t go shopping and buy the best players - you work with the available talent pool and turn them into world beaters.
8 Go to comments