New coach Mario Ledesma has named his Jaguares squad for the 2018 season and it is not without surprises. Absent from the squad are Pumas wingers Santiago Cordero and Manuel Montero, and flanker Rodrigo Báez. Cordero’s absence all but confirms a move to Leicester Tigers, with whom he has reportedly …

The 2016-17 HSBC Sevens Series was a good one for the Americas. Three teams finished in the Top 10, with the USA leading the way in 5th place. A resurgent Canadian side finished in 8th while Argentina was just behind in 9th. The new season got off to a rocky …

An ARN Awards first this year. We have in the past only selected a Dream Team for the men’s side. While the women remain underfunded by World Rugby and limited to only half the tournaments that the men enjoy, we feel there is now sufficient competition to select a side …

2018 is now here and it is to start with more Rugby World Cup qualifiers. Canada play host to Uruguay on January 27 in Vancouver. Uruguay then host the reverse fixture on February 03 in Montevideo. The winner, on aggregate, will be Americas 2 and play in Pool D of …

The Breakthrough Player of the Year can be a bit tricky with its only real defining characteristic that a player achieves a significant rise in their standard, and consequently individual standing, over the course of the calendar year. Where it differs from the Rookie award is that it can apply …

Fixtures for the first leg of the Sudamérica Sevens to take place in Punta del Este have been confirmed. The two-leg series will conclude in Viña del Mar next weekend with the top two teams from Chile, Paraguay, Colombia, Brazil, and Uruguay qualifying for the 2018 Rugby World Cup Sevens …

Americas players have along history of success at the club level, particularly in Europe, and 2017 again yielded trophies for players abroad. Djustice Sears-Duru captured a BT Scottish Premiership title with Ayr, and his Canadian front row mate Jake Ilnicki won the Aviva ‘A’ League with Northampton Wanderers. Jamie Cudmore …

Joining Juan Imhoff and Nick Civetta on the naughty list heading into the New Year is Lyon prop Francisco Gómez Kodela. The 32-year-old tighthead specialist has enjoyed a fine season to date but a moment of madness against Pau will almost certainly cost him a few weeks on the sidelines. …

Each year there are a few newcomers to international rugby who get their chance to show that they belong on the world’s stage. This past year certainly saw that and then some. An extraordinary 66 players from the six countries comprising the Americas Rugby Championship made their test debuts in …

Uruguay have received a major boost ahead of the Americas 2 World Cup Qualifying series against Canada with the confirmation that Rodrigo Capó Ortega will join the team ahead of the first match between the two at BC Place in Vancouver on January 27. The 120kg (265lbs) second row has …

The Ontario Arrows have unveiled their jerseys for the 2018 season. While the new ‘elite’ level rugby team will not be part of any competition officially in the coming year, they have committed to six exhibition games in the spring against similar teams from the USA. A confirmed sponsor list …

Just two weeks after Juan Imhoff was sent off against Castres the Americas have seen another red card brandished to an international player. US Eagles lock Nick Civetta was the culprit this time, receiving his marching orders at Castle Park on Friday evening after initiating a head-on-head contact situation with …

The Argentine Rugby Union (UAR) is set to discuss their controversial overseas selection policy at the annual general meeting in March. Their current policy rules all exiles ineligible to represent Los Pumas with only those plying their trade in Argentina considered for test rugby, effectively limiting the Pumas to those …

Lautaro Bavaro is in line to captain the Argentina XV once again in the upcoming Americas Rugby Championship. The Hindú flanker is one of 40 players named in a squad to begin training in Buenos Aires on January 15 in preparation for their opening match against the USA on February …

The French Pro D2 is off this week but the Top 14 is still going strong. Five matches on Saturday and two on Sunday are the order of business. Montpellier are still the team to beat but three teams are within five points heading into the second half of the …

It’s another odd week in the Guinness Pro 14, with Round 12 spread across four days. Two games each will take place on Saturday, Sunday, and Monday, with the South African teams not due to make up the fixture until January 20. Starting off the second leg of the derby …

The injuries are racking up as the Greene King IPA Championship takes its final voyage in 2017. Justin Blanchet (broken arm), Brett Beukeboom (concussion), Matt Evans (hamstring), Gastón Cortes (calf), and Thretton Palamo (foot) are all out and this week there is no sign of Ronnie McLean either. At this …

Holiday break? No such thing in the Aviva Premiership! The flogging continues as Round 12 squeezes in just before New Years with a couple days of Christmas fit in early in the week for a few lucky ones. With traditional powerhouses Saracens, Leicester, and Northampton struggling, it’s the likes of …

Chile will send their strongest available side to contest the Punta del Este 7s. The first leg of the Sudamérica series kicks off on January 6, with the team departing for Uruguay on January 3. Representing the Cóndores will be a host of test players mixed with top sevens exponents. …

Worcester Warriors lock Christian Scotland-Williamson is making the move to the NFL, or at least that’s what the giant-sized forward is hoping. One of the biggest men in the Aviva Premiership at 2.05m (6’9″) and 125kg (275lbs), the 24-year-old has made the surprise announcement that he will leave Worcester immediately …