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History was made in Córdoba on Friday. New champions were crowned in Super Rugby Americas (SRA) as Los Pampas came from Buenos Aires and conquered Central Argentina. The new SRA champions outlasted Los Dogos to win the 2026 SRA Final 26-17.
Going into the final the statistics were against Los Pampas. The overall record between the teams was 10 wins for Los Dogos, 1 for Los Pampas and 1 draw. The season results favored the home side with 13 wins and 2 losses compared to 11 wins and 4 defeats for Los Pampas.
Former Puma Juan Manuel Leguizamón directed Los Pampas to the title. His game plan saw Los Pampas playing intelligent and mature rugby.
The scoring began early on. Fly half Estanislao Renthel slotted a 4th minute penalty for Los Pampas. The lead lasted until the final minute of the opening quarter. It ended with Los Dogos scoring the opening try of the contest through winger Agustín De Vertiz. Puma Nicolás Roger converted for a 7-3 lead.
The lead would not remain with the home side for long. Los Pampas struck back with a double. Former Los Pumas 7’s players Agustín Fraga and Tobías Wade both scored. Renthel missed the conversions which meant the visitors held a 13-7 lead at half-time.
Fraga’s try demonstrated collectivity while Wade’s score saw the fullback slicing through the defense. The try ended the opening half.
The second-half did not start well for Los Dogos. They were defending raids on their own try line and conceded penalties. A yellow card was just a matter of time and it came with Nicolás Roger sent his marching orders.
The ten minute period without Roger was decisive in how the match played out. Los Pampas only scored three points but they had the home side on the back foot and forced them to defend repeatedly. When Los Dogos did have an opportunity they kicked a penalty to the sideline only for their reliable lineout to miss out as Los Pampas stole the throw in.
Roger returned in time to land a penalty on 62 minutes. It meant the ingredients were in place for a tight final quarter of play. However, Jerónimo Ulloa ensured that this was not so. In the play of the match, the winger scored from a cross-kick. It gave Los Dogos a 24-10 lead.
Replacement Bautista Farisé slotted a penalty to put the result beyond doubt. The 74th minute three-pointer made Los Dogos were behind by 17 points. They came to life with their best rugby with Mate Soler finishing off a team try two minutes from full-time.
There was time for another and Los Dogos ran the balk out from deep and got into the opposition 22. A turn-over ended everything as Los Pampas kicked the ball out and Damián Schneider blew the full-time whistle.
 LINE-UPS |
DOGOS (17)
TRY – A de Vertíz (19′); M Soler (78′)
CON – N Roger (20′); F Rodríguez (79′)
PEN – N Roger (62′)
YC – N Roger (46′)
PAMPAS (26)
TRY – A Fraga (30′); T Wade (40′); J Ulloa (66′)
CON – B Farisé (67′)
PEN – E Renthel 2 (4′, 53′); B Farisé (74′)
| LINE-UPS |
DOGOS
1 Nicolás Revol Pitt, 2 Tomás Montilla, 3 Octavio Filippa, 4 Valentino Gozálvez, 5 Enzo Ocampo, 6 Gastón Garayzábal, 7 Tomás Gómez, 8 Valentín Cabral (capt.), 9 Nicolás Viola, 10 Nicolás Roger, 11 Agustín de Vertíz, 12 Faustino Sánchez Valarolo, 13 Agustín Segura, 14 Facundo Pueyrredón, 15 Mateo Soler
Replacements: 16 Ramiro Iglesias, 17 Francisco Aguirre, 18 Galo Fernández, 19 Lucio Willington, 20 Augusto Cugnini, 21 Genaro Podestá, 22 Facundo Rodriguez, 23 Ernesto Giúdice
PAMPAS
1 Matías Medrano, 2 Francisco Lusarreta, 3 Marcos Camerlinckx, 4 Rodrigo Fernández Criado, 5 Francisco Sluga, 6 Juan Penoucos, 7 Faustino Santarelli Castex, 8 Lucas Moresco, 9 Lucas Marguery (capt.), 10 Estanislao Renthel, 11 Jerónimo Ulloa, 12 Felipe Ledesma, 13 Agustín Fraga, 14 Santiago Pernas, 15 Tobías Wade
Replacements: 16 Ignacio Bottazzini, 17 Nahuel Zunini, 18 Ramiro Berardi, 19 Santos Cayol, 20 Juan Pedro Bernasconi, 21 Alejo Lavayén, 22 Bautista Farisé, 23 Santiago Cordero
| VIDEO HIGHLIGHTS |
Video: To Follow
| MATCH OFFICIALS |
Referee: Damián Schneider (Argentina)
Assistant Referees: Tomás Bertazza (Argentina); Francisco Gonzalez (Uruguay)
| SUPER RUGBY AMERICAS CHAMPIONS |
2026 PAMPAS
2025 
PENAROL
2024 DOGOS
2023 PENAROL
2022 PENAROL
2021 
JAGUARES XV
