Date: 16/11/17
Argentina, Brazil and Colombia have announced their squad’s for this week’s Primer Rugby League Campeonato Latinoamericano in Los Angeles, Chile.
From the players selected, only one player – Colombian captain Sebastian Martinez – is an international resident, having been raised in Australia after arriving from Bogota in childhood.
Host Chile will name its 20-man squad in the next 24 hours and is likely to be at least 80 per cent comprised of Chilean residents, with a handful of Australian-based heritage players lending their expertise.
After the various nations have developed largely in isolation, the historic two-day event will be an intriguing gauge on the contrasting development styles and coaching.
The opening day will commence Friday, November 17 at 4pm at Club de Golf 7 Rios on the eastern outskirts of Los Angeles, a city of 150,000 in the Bio Bio Province of Chile.
Argentina plays Colombia in the opening game of the tournament at 4pm, with Chile facing Brazil straight after at 5.40pm.
The second day of the tournament, Saturday November 18, will see a bronze medal playoff at 4pm and the championship final at 6pm, with an intervening female exhibition match between Chile and Argentina.
The week’s events are the first time all four nations have met on Latin American soil in 13-a-side format under full RLIF rules, including limited interchange and documented eligibility.
All teams have been permitted to use a total of 20 players across the two days, but restricted to 17 men in each individual match.
Chile is the only one of the competing nations to already have a world-ranking, having participated in Tests in Australia against El Salvador and Thailand and an unofficial international against Poland.
Lead referee for the tournament will be Chilean-born Juan Perez, a previous member of the Queensland Rugby League elite referees squad.
El Salvador will not participate in the tournament this time around, but will send domestically-based delegates to form closer relationships with fellow Latin American nations.
Roughly 100kg in donated uniforms, balls and boots will be distributed by 13 Latin Heat Rugby League volunteers who have self-funded their way to Chile to assist the staging of the event.
Three weeks of coaching, development and promotional activities have been built around the event, which will also encourage participants and fans to follow the 2017 Rugby League World Cup.
The Latinoamericano Championship is a self-funded event, with all participants paying for their own travel and accommodation. If you wish to make a donation,go to: https://chuffed.org/project/latino-rugby-league-championship
• The 100% volunteer-run Latin American Rugby League is supported by Shield Security Pty Ltd, Tattoo Tears, Cast Graphics, IntaGas Services, LS Tax & Accounting Services, Retro-Com Digital TV Specialists, Colombianos en Brisbane GMA Tourism, EMSA Education and Migration Services Australia, Lichtnauer and Associates Accountants, The Edge Home Loans, Oaky North Lodge CFMEU, ACTIVE Rehabilitation Physiotherapy, Radio Austral and Fighting For Fitness Gym.
PRIMER RUGBY LEAGUE CAMPEONATO LATINOAMERICANO
November 17-18, From 4pm both days
Club de Golf 7 Rios, Los Angeles
Bio Bio Province, Chile
All squads listed alphabetically
ARGENTINA (Male)
ALONSO, Sebastian
BALDO, Ariel
BARRERA, Gaston
CANEPA, Juan ©
COSSO, Ariel
COSSO, Gustavo
DE ROVERE, Juan
ESCOBAR, Lucas
GIMENEZ, Luciano
LIZARZUAY, Facundo
LOPEZ, Fernando
MARTINEZ, Ares
MONTENEGRO, Sebastian
MOYANO, Dario
PEREYRA, Luciano
RILO, Bruno
ROMERO, Emiliano
STOCO, Leonel
TRAVERSO, Ignacio
VILLALVA, Marcelo
ARGENTINA (Female)
BERDUN, Clarisa ©
BESCOS, Samira
CRESPO, Rocio
DO PAZO, Melina
ESPINDOLA, Virginia
FARIAS, Delfina
GIMENEZ ACOSTA, Maria
GOMEZ, Maria
KAEHLER, Ana
LAURENT, Sofia
RETAMAR, Florencia
TORRES, Jimena
VELAZQUEZ, Milagros
BRAZIL (Male)
AMORIM FILHO, Mauro
BATISTA, Joao
CANDIDO SILVA, Vinicius
DA FONSECA, Cardoso
DA SILVA, Joao Pedro
DA VITORIA FERREIRA, Caio
DE ARAUJO, Murillo
DOS SANTOS, Clayson
FERNANDES, Earle
FIAMONCINI JUNIOR, Arestides
FROES CANEIRO, Gilberto
FROES CANEIRO, Hugo
GRAEF RIBEIRO, Gabriel
PEREIRA DE FARIA, Liniker
ROCHA ARANTES, Alexandre
ROSA SILVA, Carlos
SILVA GARROS, Gabriel
VINAS VIEIRA, Lucas
COLOMBIA (Male)
AGUIRRE MUNOZ, Yadred
BAENE MURILLO, Manuel
BARRERA, Duvan
BASTIDAS, Johan
FLORES, Manuel
LINARES LEGUIZAMON, Hector
LOPEZ, John Alejandro
LOPEZ AGUDELO, Diego
MARTINEZ, Sebastian ©
MORALES HERNANDEZ, Anderson
PENA TORRES, Andres
PERICO DAZA, Nicolas
RENDON CARDOZO, Andres Felipe
TEJADA, Giovani
VALENCIA GALLEGO, Luis David
VERA GIRALDO, Daniel
(Final four players yet to be named)
CHILE
Male and Female squads to be announced shortly.
