Super Rugby Americas
Upcoming season or competition:
Current sports event 2023 Super Rugby Americas season
SportRugby union
Founded2019 (2019)
Inaugural season2020
No. of teams7
Countries
ConfederationSudamérica Rugby
Most recent
champion(s)		Peñarol Rugby
(2023)
Most titlesPeñarol Rugby (2)
Official websiteSuper Rugby Americas

Super Rugby Americas (SRA)[1][2] is a franchise rugby union tournament format in the Americas that began its first season in February 2023 after efforts by World Rugby.[3][4] It is organized and led by Sudamérica Rugby,[5] the highest rugby entity in South America.

The tournament includes seven teams through franchises. The holding of this tournament in the Americas has the precedent of the extinct Superliga Americana de Rugby (SLAR) (English: American Rugby Superleague), a precursor competition.[6]

The name Super Rugby Americas was proposed by World Rugby to draw a parallel with Super Rugby Pacific, a competition made up of franchises from Australia, Fiji, and New Zealand.

History

SLAR (2020-2022)

SLAR logo up to 2023.

SLAR was first announced in April 2019,[7] with plans of forming between six and eight professional franchises, two each in Uruguay and Brazil, meanwhile Argentina and Chile were to get a franchise each with plans to add two teams in 2021 with an additional team in Argentina and one from Paraguay. In November, SLAR's plans changed to a league of seven clubs, two each in Brazil and Uruguay with one team each in Argentina, Chile, and Paraguay.[8] Officially sanctioned by Sudamérica Rugby, which is consequently part of World Rugby, the league was officially launched in November 29, 2019.[9]

At the official announcement, SLAR confirmed the number of the teams for the 2020 season was set at five[10] for the regular season due to the economic issues but SLAR was expected to be expanded at some point in the future, possibly in 2021. Cafeteros Pro (Colombia) joined at the end of the regular season to play a home and away series against the 5th-place finisher in the 2020 season before joining the league full-time.

The tournament could be played without problems in 2021 and 2022. During 2022, there were already ideas to carry out a joint competition between the franchises that contested the SLAR and teams from North America. During the season, the Challenge Cup of the Americas, a friendly rugby cup, was played on an experimental way.

SRA (2023-Present)

As it is a competition with franchises, the impact of the SLAR was in doubt. According to South American specialists, the success achieved by the tournament was relative[11] but after various requests from institutions to join and participate in a larger tournament, World Rugby requested the expansion of the format towards a more ambitious and regional competition.

Once the news was released, Wenceslao Tejerina, High Performance Manager for Chile, announced that they were working on a new tournament.[12] After the announcement of the new contest, the Uruguayan Sebastián Piñeyrúa, director of the South American entity, issued the following statement: "Due to the success obtained in the American Rugby Super League in the two full seasons of 2021 and 2022, from South America Rugby, SLAR organizers, we are in the middle of negotiations with national unions in North and Central America, to plan the future growth of Rugby in the continent, for this reason, we are working with all the member unions and franchises participating in SLAR 2022, to plan and develop future competitions, by franchises and international. On October 27, the format will be presented and details of the new professional competition of the Americas will be given".[13]

In this way, after efforts by Sudamérica Rugby and World Rugby, the emergence of Super Rugby Americas was announced in October 2022, a tournament that will also be organized by USA Rugby and Rugby Canada, which will include most of the clubs that competed in SLAR 2022 with the addition of franchises from the United States and Canada.

According to the High Performance Manager of South America Rugby, Daniel Hourcade, the Unión Argentina de Rugby will also incorporate more franchises in the next editions of the new league.[14]

Competition format

In 2020, Superliga Americana de Rugby was to span four months from February through May. For the first season, five of the six clubs Ceibos, Corinthians, Selknam, Olímpia Lions, and Peñarol[15] planned to take part in a double round-robin regular season, playing twice against each other team, once at home and once away, for a total of eight games.[16] The top four teams would qualify for the championship playoffs to determine a season champion.[17] The fifth place regular season team would have played a series against Los Cafeteros Pro to determine the fifth-place team. However, on March 17, 2020, the season was postponed until 2021,[18] as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Like Super Rugby, Major League Rugby, and the United Rugby Championship, the Super Rugby Americas has no promotion and relegation.

Teams

Current teams

There are seven teams confirmed for the 2023 Super Rugby Americas season.[19][15]

Locations of the 2023 Super Rugby Americas teams
Country Team City Stadium Capacity Joined Coach Former names
 ARGDogos XVCórdobaTala Rugby Club6,0002020 [upper-alpha 1]Nicolás GalatroCeibos (2020)
 ARGPampasBuenos AiresCASI5,0002023Ignacio Fernández Lobbe–
 BRACobrasSão PauloEstádio Nicolau Alayon9,6602020Josh ReevesCorinthians (2020)
 CHISelknamSantiagoEstadio Municipal de La Pintana5,0002020Nicolás Bruzzone—
 PARYacare XVAsunciónEstadio Héroes de Curupayty3,0002020Ricardo Le FortOlimpia Lions (2020–22)
 URUPeñarolMontevideoEstadio Charrúa14,0002020Pablo Bouza–
 USAAmerican RaptorsGlendale, COInfinity Park5,0002023Sarah ChobotGlendale Raptors,
Colorado Raptors (MLR)
  • Notes:
  1. ↑ Cordoba Team joined Superliga in 2020 as Ceibos. However they departed the competition at the start of the 2021 season, before rejoining the competition for Super Rugby Americas in 2023.

Timeline

Pampas XVAmerican RaptorsJaguares (Super Rugby)Cafeteros ProSelknam (rugby union)Peñarol RugbyYacare XVYacare XVCobras Brasil XVCobras Brasil XVDogos XVDogos XV

Expansion teams

On 10 November 2020, Colombia formalized professional rugby. The South American nation’s first professional rugby team was Cafeteros Pro. The team entered the Súper Liga Americana de Rugby (SLAR) in 2021.[20]

On 6 January 2021, UAR replaced the Córdoba based team Ceibos with the Jaguares XV, following the Jaguares' departure from Super Rugby.[21][22]

On 4 February 2021, the Brazilian side in the competition was renamed Cobras Brasil XV, dropping their affiliation with the Corinthians multi-sport club.[23]

On 13 December 2022, SLAR confirmed the replacement of Cafeteros Pro, with the reintroduction of Córdoba based team Dogos XV, in the past Ceibos.[24]

On 22 December 2022, Super Rugby Americas confirmed more news; first the return of Argentine Pampas XV in substitution of Jaguares XV, second the participation of American Raptors, third the rebranded of Paraguayan team from Olimpia Lions to Yakarés XV in order to indicate that relationship between the Paraguayan Rugby Union and the soccer team Club Olimpia is ended.[25]

Expansion candidates

At the initial announcement, Brazil and Uruguay were originally slated to have two team each, but instead one team each (Corinthians and Peñarol) went on to play in the 2020 season, meaning it may be possible for the two countries to expand in the future (Club Nacional de Football was hinted at as a possibility in Uruguay)[8] besides a possible Mexican team or a second Chilean team.[26][27] With the possible change of Super Rugby to a Trans-Tasman (Australasian) competition, Argentina could add a second team, the Jaguares, based in Buenos Aires, in 2021.[28][29][20] In November 2020, another new team was proposed for 2021, with Sudamérica Rugby officially expressing interest in the inclusion of a second Argentine Buenos Aires–based team in the 2021 SLAR.[30] However, a second Argentine team did not play in 2021 and most Argentine players would leave the team either for overseas, or to enter the draft for the 2021 Súper Liga Americana de Rugby season.[31] In October 2022, it was confirmed that the Argentine team Tucumán would replace the Colombian team Cafeteros Pro and that two North American franchises, the Canadian Pacific Pride and U.S. American Raptors, were going to participate in this new tournament renamed Super Rugby Americas.[32][33] In June 2023, after losing its bid for 2022, Tucumán, plus Salta and Santiago del Estero, renewed their request to enter in the tournament in order to have 3 Argentine franchises in the future. Los Naranjas could thus be a new team in Super Rugby Americas 2025.[34][35] It's also possible in the future a Mexican Franchise[36]

Former teams

Nat. Team City Stadium Joined Left
ArgentinaCeibosCórdobaTala Rugby Club Stadium20202021 [n 1]
ArgentinaJaguares XVBuenos AiresJosé Amalfitani20212022
BrazilCorinthiansSão Paulo(none)20202021 [n 1]
ColombiaCafeteros ProMedellín(none)2020 [n 2]2022
ParaguayOlímpia LionsAsunciónEstadio Héroes de Curupayty20202022
Notes
  1. 1 2 Pre-season.[21]
  2. ↑ Post-season.

Champions

Tournament names
  • 2020–22: Súper Liga Americana
  • 2023–: Super Rugby Americas
Ed. Season Winners Score Runners-up Venue City Attend.
Nation Team Nation Team
1
2020 (Not completed due to the COVID-19 pandemic).
2
2021 ARG Jaguares XV 36–28 URU Peñarol Estadio CharrúaMontevideo 0
3
2022 URU Peñarol 24–13 CHI Selknam Estadio CharrúaMontevideo —
4
2023 URU Peñarol 23–17 UAR Dogos Estadio CharrúaMontevideo 10,000

Titles by team

Nat. Team Titles Years won
URUPeñarol
2
2022, 2023
ARGJaguares XV
1
2021

See also

References

  1. ↑ "SLAR Officially Changes to Super Rugby Americas and American Raptors Join | Goff Rugby Report". www.goffrugbyreport.com. 2022-12-23. Retrieved 2022-12-24.
  2. ↑ News, Americas Rugby (2022-12-23). "Super Rugby Americas to launch without Pride or Jaguares". Americas Rugby News. Retrieved 2022-12-24. {{cite web}}: |last= has generic name (help)
  3. ↑ NACE SÚPER RUGBY AMÉRICAS: LA NUEVA COMPETENCIA CONTINENTAL TRAERÁ EL ‘MEJOR RUGBY DE AMÉRICA’
  4. ↑ Qué es el Súper Rugby Américas, el novedoso torneo que jugará Selknam y que reemplazará a la Superliga Americana de rugby
  5. ↑ "Nace Súper Rugby Américas, la nueva competencia continental". ESPN. Retrieved 23 December 2022.
  6. ↑ La SLAR que se viene será una nueva liga (Súper Rugby Américas), con equipos de Estados Unidos y Canadá y, casi con seguridad, una nueva franquicia argentina en reemplazo de Cafeteros Pro.
  7. ↑ "TV, contratos, jugadores: los siguientes pasos de la Liga profesional de rugby". El Observador. Retrieved 2019-12-08.
  8. 1 2 "The Latest On the Súper Liga Americana". Americas Rugby News. 2019-11-08. Retrieved 2019-12-08.
  9. ↑ "La Superliga Americana de Rugby tiene fixture". Sudamérica Rugby (in Spanish). Retrieved 2022-01-18.
  10. ↑ "Sudamérica tendrá competencia, se viene la Liga, primer torneo profesional". Diario El Ciudadano y la Región (in European Spanish). Retrieved 2019-12-08.
  11. ↑ [ https://www.elciudadanoweb.com/a-dias-de-la-presentacion-oficial-de-super-rugby-americas-el-nuevo-nombre-de-la-superliga/ "En sus dos ediciones y media La Superliga Americana no tuvo un éxito rotundo por diferentes razones, pero si generó efectos secundarios"]
  12. ↑ "...adelantó que se trabaja la transformación de la Superliga Americana en un nuevo torneo..."
  13. ↑ El Ciudadano Web
  14. ↑ "...informó que el próximo 27 de octubre se conocerían los detalles de la nueva liga. Una que promete ir más allá de las fronteras de la región y llegar hasta el norte del continente (...) «Estamos trabajando e intentando sumar franquicias del norte y viendo con Argentina para que sume una franquicia el año que viene y otras más los años siguientes"
  15. 1 2 La Superliga Americana va tomando forma by Gabriel Sarquis Marca, 29 Dec 2019
  16. ↑ Nace la Superliga Americana, un impulso vital para el rugby regional by Alejo Miranda La Nación, 1 Dec 2019
  17. ↑ "Sudamérica Rugby: La Súper Liga Americana de Rugby comenzará en 2020". Chile Rugby (in European Spanish). 2019-04-28. Retrieved 2019-12-08.
  18. ↑ "La Superliga Americana de rugby se suspende hasta 2021". SLAR (in European Spanish). 2020-03-17. Retrieved 2021-02-04.
  19. ↑ "South American SuperLiga launched in Montevideo". Americas Rugby News. 2019-11-30. Retrieved 2019-12-02.
  20. 1 2 "Colombia formalized professional rugby". Americas Rugby News. 2020-11-10. Retrieved 2022-01-18.
  21. 1 2 "Jaguares to play in Súper Liga Americana de Rugby".
  22. ↑ @JaguaresARG (January 23, 2021). "¡Vuelve #JaguaresXV, vuelve el rugby a la región! El equipo participará en la @SLARugby junto a las franquicias de Brasil, Chile, Colombia, Paraguay y Uruguay en el certamen continental que se disputará, entre el 16 de marzo y el 15 de mayo, en dos sedes fijas a definir" (Tweet). Retrieved 24 January 2021 – via Twitter.
  23. ↑ "Cobras Brasil XV replace Corinthians in 2021 SLAR". Americas Rugby News. 4 February 2021. Retrieved 4 February 2021.
  24. ↑ "Córdoba to join rebranded SLAR – Super Rugby Americas". Americas Rugby News. 2022-12-13. Retrieved 2022-12-13.
  25. ↑ "Super Rugby Americas to launch without Pride or Jaguares". Americas Rugby News. 2022-12-22. Retrieved 2022-12-22.
  26. ↑ "Hernández backs Súper Liga Americana for Argentina". Americas Rugby News. 2020-09-12. Retrieved 2022-01-18.
  27. ↑ "Súper Liga Americana Expansion". Americas Rugby News. 2020-09-27. Retrieved 2022-01-18.
  28. ↑ "Jaguares in 2021: Australia, South Africa or South America". Americas Rugby News. 2020-07-26. Retrieved 2022-01-18.
  29. ↑ "Super Rugby set to return to 12 teams without Jaguares". Americas Rugby News. 2020-11-04. Retrieved 2022-01-18.
  30. ↑ Sudamérica Rugby has expressed interest in including Los Jaguares in the 2021 SLAR competition
  31. ↑ "Jaguares to be drafted into SLAR teams". Americas Rugby News. 19 December 2020. Retrieved 20 December 2020.
  32. ↑ "SLAR set to add North American teams in 2023". Americas Rugby News. 6 October 2022. Retrieved 6 October 2022.
  33. ↑ "Volver Atrás Sudamérica confirmó cambios en la SLAR". A Pleno Rugby (in Spanish). 5 October 2022. Retrieved 5 October 2022.
  34. ↑ "El NOA quiere su franquicia". A Pleno Rugby (in Spanish). 1 June 2023. Retrieved 1 June 2023.
  35. ↑ "Tucumán player development and move towards Super Rugby Americas". Americas Rugby news. 8 January 2024. Retrieved 8 January 2024.
  36. ↑ "México apunta a MLR y SR Américas". A Pleno Rugby (in Spanish). 26 December 2023. Retrieved 26 December 2023.


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