Cafeteros Pro is a professional rugby union team based in Medellín, Colombia. The team was founded in 2020 to compete in Súper Liga Americana de Rugby finals series of the 2020 Súper Liga Americana de Rugby season, however the season was cancelled following the COVID-19 pandemic.[1][2] The team however did join the competition full-time ahead of the 2021 Súper Liga Americana de Rugby season.[3] Cafeteros Pro became the first professional rugby union team from Colombia.[4][5]
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| Full name | Los Cafeteros Pro | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| Founded | 2019 | ||
| Location | Medellín, Colombia | ||
| Ground(s) | TBA | ||
| Coach(es) | Nicolás Galatro | ||
| Captain(s) | Franco Giudice | ||
| League(s) | SLAR | ||
| 2021 | 6th Playoffs DNQ | ||
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Beginnings edit
Ahead of the 2021 season, Cafeteros Pro appointed Argentine Rodolfo Ambrosio as head coach.[6] The team is set to have a budget of US$330,000 for their first season and their side will be a mixture of Colombian professional players and Argentine professional players.[4] The team along with the Paraguayan SLAR side Olímpia Lions will have priority of drafting Argentine players, with there being an excess of Argentine players due to the Argentine Jaguares side departing Super Rugby.[7][8] On 4 January 2021, it was announced that 10 Argentine players had been drafted to the side.[9] In the longer term the team is hoping to become a Colombian-centric team, with 90% of the players to be Colombians.[10] Ahead of the 2021 season, there were seven Colombian players playing professional rugby in foreign leagues: Brayan Campiño and Andrés Zafra (both playing in France), Julio Cesar Giraldo (who played for American side Rugby United New York in the 2020 Major League Rugby season), Giovanni Carvajal, Diver Ceballos and Danny Giraldo (who all played for the Uruguayan side Peñarol in the 2020 SLAR) and Johan Larrota.[5]
Stadium edit
The Cafeteros Pro have yet to announce their stadium or stadia in Medellín ahead of the 2021 Súper Liga Americana de Rugby season.
Current squad edit
The Cafeteros Pro squad for the 2022 Súper Liga Americana de Rugby season is:[11]
Note: Flags indicate national union under World Rugby eligibility rules. Players may hold more than one non-World Rugby nationality.
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- Senior 15s internationally capped players are listed in bold.
- * denotes players qualified to play for Colombia on dual nationality or residency grounds.
References edit
- ^ "Sudamérica tendrá competencia, se viene la Liga, primer torneo profesional". Diario El Ciudadano y la Región (in European Spanish). Retrieved 2019-12-08.
- ^ "SLAR Suspended Until 2021". Americas Rugby News. March 17, 2020. Retrieved 11 April 2020.
- ^ "Six team Súper Liga (SLAR) competition set for 2021". Americas Rugby News. 16 December 2020. Retrieved 12 January 2021.
- ^ a b "Cafeteros Pro Budget". Americas Rugby News. 3 January 2021. Retrieved 12 January 2021.
- ^ a b "Colombia has formalized professional rugby". Americas Rugby News. 10 November 2020. Retrieved 12 January 2021.
- ^ "Rodolfo Ambrosio to coach Los Cafeteros Pro in SLAR". Americas Rugby News. 28 December 2020. Retrieved 12 January 2021.
- ^ "Colombia and Paraguay teams to have SLAR draft priority". Americas Rugby News. 20 December 2020. Retrieved 12 January 2021.
- ^ "Jaguares to be drafted into SLAR teams". Americas Rugby News. 19 December 2020. Retrieved 12 January 2021.
- ^ "Los Cafeteros Pro draft 10 Argentine players for SLAR". Americas Rugby News. 4 January 2021. Retrieved 12 January 2021.
- ^ "El vuelo de los "Tucanes" colombianos…: artículo especial para Midi Olympique". Fecorugby. 3 November 2020. Retrieved 12 January 2021.
- ^ "Cafeteros Pro Roster for SLAR". Americas Rugby News. 23 February 2022. Retrieved 27 February 2022.