Up and Under is a weekly exclusive on Americas Rugby News which reviews the best and worst from games involving the Americas teams over the previous week. UP Jamaica International competition is underway for 2020. In the first match of the year, Jamaica traveled to Europe and returned home with …

A new name suited up for the Austin Herd in their warm-up match against the Austin Huns on Saturday. Highly rated Brazil front rower Wilton Rebolo has finally arrived in Texas, joining the team for the 2020 Major League Rugby season. The 24-year-old joins from the Pasteur club in São …

Two of six Argentine players to join Selknam have now been identified. Following former Pumas back row Rodrigo Bruno, Argentina XV scrumhalf Patricio Baronio will also join the Chilean franchise for the inaugural Súper Liga Americana de Rugby season. Baronio was selected to Los Pumitas for two consecutive World Rugby …

Twelve days out from Los Jaguares’ first pre-season match against the Georgia XV, Gonzalo Quesada has suffered a double injury setback to centers. Two players are set to be ruled out of the first match and their involvement in the second, on January 24, also requires confirmation. The 2019 starting …

Peñarol continue to finalize their player roster. With two months to go until the inaugural Súper Liga Americana de Rugby (SLAR) season, the Uruguayan side has now added two additional foreign players. The latest additions are two Tongans – Sefo Sakalia and Atieli Pakalani. The players bring with them Rugby …

International competition is underway for 2020. In the first match of the year Jamaica defeated Gibraltar in a thriller, winning 17-15 at Europa Point on Saturday afternoon. The home side, Gibraltar, started strongly. Fly half, Benn Morris landed a 15th minute penalty to open the scoring. Five minutes later he …

The Austin Herd have secured contract extensions for two key flankers ahead of the 2020 Major League Rugby season. South African blindside Rikus Zwart and Egyptian-Canadian openside Moe Abdelmonem will continue with the Texan team for a second campaign. Zwart, 23, played every game for Austin in 2019, starting 11 …

Former Pumas prop, Ramiro Herrera is remaining in France on a long-term basis. The 30-year-old from Patagonia was signed by La Rochelle from Stade Français as a medical joker but has now extended his contract until 2022. In remaining at La Rochelle, Herrera joins fellow Puma and Facundo Bosch at …

Olímpia Lions have captured another professional from Spanish club Alcobendas. Former Argentina XV flanker Nicolás Proto follows Spain scrumhalf Facundo Munilla in joining the Paraguayan franchise of the new Súper Liga Americana de Rugby. Proto, 28, only just joined Alcobendas this season. He was a standout openside in the División …

Los Ceibos have added the highly promising lock, Jerónimo Ureta. The Argentina XV representative is the latest name confirmed for the Córdoba-based team that will compete in the new Súper Liga Americana de Rugby (SLAR) beginning in March. Ureta is the fourth lock on the roster. He joins Rodrigo Fernández …

Former Eagles back row Andrew Durutalo has left English Championship club Ealing Trailfinders with immediate effect. The 32-year-old has decided to return home to his family in Fiji. He is taking a break from the sport entirely, possibly signalling the end of his professional career. Durutalo announced his retirement from …

Selknam are yet to unveil their roster for the Súper Liga Americana de Rugby, with back row Ignacio Silva the only confirmed player for the Chilean franchise. A squad of 35 senior players will be named soon according to Chile Rugby president Cristian Rudloff, with six to be from Argentina. …

As expected, the Seattle Seawolves have confirmed the return of Canadian international prop Jake Ilnicki for the 2020 Major League Rugby season. The team has also announced the signature of Seattle Saracens scrumhalf Jope Motokana. Ilnicki, 27, now has 38 test caps to his name after participating in his second …

After been left out of Los Jaguares’ roster for the 2020 Super Rugby season, Bautista Ezcurra has not moved abroad but has returned to Los Pumas 7’s. Of note is that the move comes in what is an Olympic year. Los Pumas 7’s are to begin training on Monday, January …

The Austin Herd have confirmed the return of South American duo Marcelo Torrealba and Rodrigo Silva for the 2020 Major League Rugby season. Four of scrumhalf Torrealba’s six starts in 2019 came with Silva partnering him at flyhalf. Both have turned down opportunities to join the new Super Liga Americana …

The third season of Major League Rugby is still over a month away, but preseason training has been ongoing for most teams since early December. All are now back to work with the first games just around the corner. In fact, one has landed sooner than expected. A surprise announcement …

The calendar of international competition for Americas Rugby has been unveiled by Sudamérica Rugby. The annual competition included marks an expansion which will see 2020 being the busiest yet on record for the Americas. In total more than twenty different official competitions are to be played. Included are Sudamérica Rugby …

Los Ceibos have added a third scrum-half for the 2020 Súper Liga Americana de Rugby (SLAR). The newest arrival is Joaquín Pellandini who joins Los Ceibos straight from the Argentina u20s. In 2020 Pellandini started for Los Pumitas in the famous away win over South Africa. The addition of Pellandini means …

The New England Free Jacks have added more quality to their roster with the signings of winger Deion Mikesell and flanker Zack Stryffeler. Both were first choice players for their respective teams last year, Mikesell arriving from the Houston SaberCats and Stryffeler departing NOLA Gold. A multi-sport athlete in high …

Former Argentine 7’s player, Axel Müller has signed a new deal with Brive. The Top 14 club announced the new extension of Muller’s contract to 2023 along five other players agreeing to terms to extend their contracts. The 26-year-old Müller joined Brive from Oyonnax in 2018. He did so after …