Countdown to the Rugby Premiere at the XII South American Games in Asunción 2022

The countdown to the premiere of rugby at the XII South American Games in Asunción 2022 (also known as the Odesur Games) is approaching its end, and Argentina will compete with its two teams: Los Pumas 7 and Las Yaguaretés.

The competition for this discipline will take place over three consecutive days: October 7th, 8th, and 9th, at the Héroes de Curupayty Stadium, which has synthetic turf and is located within the Parque Olímpico Paraguayo in Asunción. The men's selected team includes players from Rosario: Franco Giudice (GER) and Tomás Lizazú (Old Resian).

Yesterday morning both teams departed for Asunción, but before the trip, they trained at Casa Pumas. To remember the last participation of both teams in the South American Games, we have to go back to Cochabamba 2018, where Las Yaguaretés won the Silver medal, while Los Pumas 7 won the Bronze medal.

In the Los Pumas 7 squad, there were two changes: Alejo Lavayén (right soleus tear) and Juan Cruz Pérez Rachel (infection) will not be able to participate, and in their places, Santiago Vera Feld and Rodrigo Isgró from Mendoza have been called up.

The team coach for the Games will be Leonardo Gravano from Tucumán, while Marcos Moneta will be the captain and, before the competition, he commented on the team's condition for this international competition: "The team is doing very well, there are many new faces and we are very excited. The message is to enjoy, as there is nothing better than wearing this jersey."

As for Las Yaguaretés, who will have Emilio Valdez from Tucumán as their coach, several players have just participated in the National Club Championship in Córdoba, so they arrive with experience for this international event.

At the same time, the recent National Training Camp in Tucumán also served to unite the team and accumulate playing minutes on the field. This tournament represents the main goal of the year, as it grants two spots for the Santiago 2023 Pan American Games (Chile is already qualified as the host and Brazil secured the spot at the Saquarema South American Championship).

The squad will be composed of Giuliana Agüero, María Virginia Brígido Chamorro, Deborah Fretes Hernández, Renata Giraudo, Sofía González, Gimena Mattus (captain), Azul Medina, Andrea Moreno, María Florencia Moreno, María Emilia Ortega, María Micaela Pallero, and María Taladrid.

According to the positions in Saquarema, the ranking was made, and Argentina is the third seed, behind Brazil (1st) and Colombia (2nd). In Asunción, 9 teams will compete, divided into three groups as follows: Group A: Brazil, Chile, and Uruguay; Group B: Colombia, Peru, and Venezuela; and Group C: Argentina, Paraguay, and Bolivia.

Friday, October 7th, will be the first day of competition, and Argentina 7 will make its debut against Bolivia (10:50 Argentine time) and the second match against Paraguay (18:20 Argentine time).

If they finish first in the group, they will compete in what is called Cup 2 in the next stage, where the 1st from Zone B, the 2nd from Zone A, and the 1st from Zone C will face each other. In Cup 1, the 1st from Zone A, the 2nd from Zone B, and the 2nd from Zone C will cross paths.

In the semifinals for the Gold Medal, the matches will be: 1st from Cup 1 vs 2nd from Cup 2, and 1st from Cup 2 vs 2nd from Cup 1.

On the other hand, the Los Pumas 7 squad is composed of: Ramiro D'Agostino, Benjamín Elizalde, Agustín Fraga, Franco Giudice, Rodrigo Isgró, Tomás Lizazú, Marcos Moneta (Captain), Matías Osadczuk, Joaquín Pellandini, Franco Rossetto, Santiago Vera Feld, and Tobías Wade.

The format will be as follows: seven teams will compete in a single group where everyone plays against each other; the first and second will compete for the Gold Medal on the third day, and the third and fourth will compete for the Bronze Medal.

On Friday, October 7th, on the first day of competition, Argentina 7 will face Brazil (9:22 Argentine time), then Peru (16:52 Argentine time), and later Colombia (19:10 Argentine time). While on the second day (Saturday 8th), they will face Uruguay (9:22 Argentine time), Chile (17:14 Argentine time), and Paraguay (19:54 Argentine time).