Uruguay’s November: The Grassroots Rebuild and Players Who Can Return

Following a disappointing string of performances in the July window of the World Rugby Nations Cup—which concluded with the firing of Argentine coaches Rodolfo Ambrosio and Juan Figallo—the Unión de Rugby del Uruguay (URU) completely overhauled its strategy.

In August former high-performance director and Los Teritos (U20) coach Guzmán Barreiro was appointed Head Coach of Los Teros. Leading a staff composed entirely of native Uruguayan coaches, Barreiro’s first test was evaluating the player base at the 2026 Americas Rugby Championship (ARC) held in Chile.

 

Because the 2026 ARC functions as a developmental testing ground utilizing the “Uruguay XV” designation, Barreiro pivoted heavily toward the youth products he recently coached at the World Rugby Junior World Championship. While veteran flanker Felipe Aliaga retained his captaincy from July, the roster saw tactical changes to accommodate this youth movement.

The headline change for the ARC was the return of tighthead prop Ignacio Péculo, who was completely missing from the July Nations Cup squad due to a severe cervical injury that was expected to keep him sidelined for up to six months. His quicker-than-expected integration, alongside the inclusion of backs Santiago Álvarez and Ignacio Facciolo, injected heavy senior experience into the ARC lineup.

To make room for this critical youth evaluation, prominent amateur club standouts and hybrid squad members called up in July—such as Lucas Porcelli, Mateo Sosa, Alfonso Vidal, and loosehead prop Santiago Cagnone—were rotated out of the primary squad for the ARC cycle. This high-turnover strategy underlines Uruguay’s strict commitment to a 100% homegrown model. Unlike nations like Samoa, who use legal transfer shortcuts to absorb ready-made talent, Uruguay cannot rely on tier-1 defectors. Instead, they must patiently wait for their premier, foreign-based professionals to be released by European clubs or navigate a challenging local developmental balancing act.

Consequently, a massive chunk of Uruguay’s high-investment core has remained completely out of the setup through the November 2025 tests, the July Nations Cup, and the ARC. World-class ]]scrum-half Santiago Arata (Castres, FR) and lock Manuel Leindekar (Oyonnax, FR) have remained absent from regional tournaments. These premier assets are being strictly preserved for full-test match status in the upcoming November European tour against Zimbabwe, Spain, and Portugal, representing a massive wave of reinforcements that can instantly return to elevate the squad.

While the healthy European pros prepare for a November re-entry, key squad pillars from the previous cycle remain locked in the injury ward and unavailable for selection. Hookers Germán Kessler (knee surgery) and Guillermo Pujadas (spinal surgery) remain sidelined through extensive medical rehabilitation, alongside prop Francisco Suárez, who is continuing an eight-month recovery protocol following major shoulder surgery.

For Barreiro, managing this distinct list of active returnees and long-term absentees will define the starting point of his tenure as Uruguay tests its pure, homegrown depth on the global stage. This structural challenge has been further intensified by the significant 2026 signing window, which saw a notable exodus of top domestic talent securing overseas professional contracts.

Vital components of Uruguay’s developmental system, such as senior flankers Manuel Ardao (Cascais, Portugal) and Lucas Bianchi (Rugby Viadana, Italy), second-rowers Felipe Aliaga (Parabiago, Italy) and Manuel Rosmarino (Rangers Vicenza, Italy), and playmaker Ícaro Amarillo (Académica, Portugal) have all moved abroad. This relentless drain of local talent means that while Barreiro must constantly adapt to player unavailabilities imposed by foreign club releases, it simultaneously validates Uruguay’s identity as a true, self-sustaining exporter of elite rugby talent.

Player	Position	Age	Caps	Status
Facundo Gattas	Loosehead Prop / Hooker	31	48	Active
Mateo Perillo	Loosehead Prop	25	11	Active
Francisco Suárez	Loosehead Prop	25	7	Sidelined (Shoulder Surgery Recovery)
Germán Kessler	Hooker	32	74	Sidelined (Knee Surgery Recovery)
Guillermo Pujadas	Hooker	29	38	Sidelined (Spinal Surgery Recovery)
Manuel Leindekar	Second-Row	29	45	Active
Juan Manuel Rodríguez	Second-Row	30	5	Active
Agustín Morales	Second-Row	28	7	Active
Santiago Civetta	Back-Row	28	44	Active
Carlos Deus	Back-Row	24	18	Active
Santiago Arata	Scrum-half	30	52	Active
Felipe Etcheverry	Fly-half / Fullback	30	34	Active
Bautista Basso	Winger / Center	25	18	Active
Baltazar Amaya	Fullback	27	10	Considering playing future