Americas Rugby News Rugby news from across the Americas!
Three promising players from the Americas – two from Argentina and one from Canada – are heading to France to join the academy program at Top 14 club Pau. Joel Sclavi, Ignacio Calles, and Matt Beukeboom will make the move in their first steps towards becoming fully professional players. The signings are the latest in a recent trend of young Americas players refining their trades in French academies. Canada’s Paul Ciulini and Argentinean Manuel Plaza were recent announcements, while USA hopeful Christian Ostberg and Brazilian international Luiz Vieira are already on the books of other academies.
Sclavi, 22, is a mountain of a man at 1.90m (6’3″) and 144kg (315lbs). Aptly nicknamed ‘El Toro’, the tighthead prop moves north to France from Spain, where he has been with Gernika in the División de Honor for the past year. He is originally from the Pueyrredón club in San Isidro before playing with Mar del Plata prior to his departure for Europe.
Former Pumitas hooker Calles leaves the famed Liceo Naval club in Buenos Aires. He traveled to the World Rugby u20 Championship tournament in both 2014 and 2015, and in 2016 was named in the Argentina XV squad for the Americas Rugby Championship, appearing as a reserve against Chile. The 20-year-old is one of a growing number of young players weighing their options with limited spots available in Los Jaguares, Argentina’s only fully professional domestic team.
A name familiar to Canadian fans is Beukeboom, though perhaps not him in person. Older brother Brett is a seasoned professional with 18 caps and a World Cup to his name, and cousin Tyson is an established member of the Canadian senior women’s team. His uncle is former professional hocker player Brett Beukeboom. Matt is a 19-year-old second row who leaves the Lindsay club on Ontario, and also the esteemed Queen’s Golden Gaels university side to begin his overseas experience. Earlier this year he was included in the Canada u20 team that traveled to Texas to play the All-Americans. He remains eligible for that team in 2017.
Section Paloise, or Pau as it is colloquially known as, currently houses former Pumas midfielder Santiago Fernandez and current Canadian lock Cameron Pierce. Also in its academy ranks are new Canada cap Matt Tierney, while the senior side boasts international stars such as All Blacks Conrad Smith, Colin Slade, and newly-signed Tom Taylor. Joining them for this coming season is former Wallaby captain Ben Mowen and Toulon star Steffon Armitage.
