Colombia confirms training squad for South American Championship

Colombia has confirmed a 44-man extended training squad for the South American Championship. Included are most of their top players but there are two significant absentees – incumbent captain Sebastián Mejia and emerging Agen second row Andrés Zafra.

Nearly every player who was part of the historic Americas Rugby Challenge victory last year is named. Among them are experienced second rows Jhon Carlos Álvarez and Santiago Mejía, leggy flanker Diver Ceballos, and powerhouse loose forward Gerson Ortiz.

The backs feature hard-running center Juan Dávila and flying wing duo Neider García and Arley Urrutia. Of note is the naming of Andrés Álvarez as a flyhalf and top scorer José Manuel Diosa at fullback. The two were in the reverse positions last season.

Los Tucanes will begin their Sudamericano 6 Naciones tournament in Medellín on Saturday against the Argentina XV. Their second match is against Paraguay on May 18, also in Medellín, and the third in Montevideo against the Uruguay XV on May 25.

LH PROP: Mauricio Espinal, Yani Pérez, Brandon Rosas
HOOKER: Jorge Álvarez, Carlos Ángulo, Juan David Henao, Diego Posada
TH PROP: Andrés Arango, Héctor Navarro, Brayhan Pérez
LOCK: Jhon Carlos Álvarez, Danny Giraldo, Pablo Lasso, Santiago Mejía
FLANKER: Nicolás Cadavid, Diver Ceballos, Álvaro Gamarra, Andrés Montoya, Harold Palacio, David Rojo, Julián Velandia
NUMBER EIGHT: Arturo Contreras, Gerson Ortiz
SCRUMHALF: Oscar Forero, Julián Navarro, Pablo Valderrama, Alejo Vanegas
FLYHALF: Andrés Álvarez, Miguel Arango
CENTER: Juan David Agudelo, Geovanny Carvajal, Juan Dávila, Franklin Minu, Johan Ortiz, Cristian Rodallegas
WING: Neider García, Brayan Guzmán, Maicol Machado, Alejandro Navarro, Ricardo Ramírez, Arley Urrutia
FULLBACK: José Manuel Diosa, Juan Sebastián Giraldo, Juan Esteban Moreno