RWC Sevens places at stake in Punta del Este
By Frankie Deges
From Punta del Este, Uruguay
In the seaside resort of Punta del Este in Uruguay this weekend, the first two qualifiers – one men’s and one women’s – for Rugby World Cup Sevens 2009 will be decided when eight South American countries from CONSUR (Confederación Sudamericana de Rugby) will compete at the Campus de Maldonado, where the qualifying tournament for RWC Sevens 1997 took place.
Argentina, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Paraguay, Peru, Uruguay and Venezuela are the eight nations competing over Friday and Saturday in one of South America¹s most beautiful summer retreats. In true local fashion, the last game of the opening round is scheduled to finish after midnight, whilst the final will start at 10pm.
Despite the two places available, given that the Argentina men’s team is already qualified by virtue of reaching the quarter-finals at RWC Sevens 2005, in the men’s section seven nations will compete for the coveted ticket to Dubai.
Given the experience of the Argentine squad with players who regularly play in the IRB Sevens ¬World Series and the fact they have never lost against regional opposition at any level, it is expected that whoever reaches the final to play against them will be the qualifier. Thus, what happens in the semi-final will earn those boarding passes.
In the women’s event, it will all be decided on the last game and Brazil, winners of every previous CONSUR Sevens – the girls first played in 2004 – are leading candidates. Their squad includes a wealth of experience in previous CONSUR Sevens, including scrum half Paula Harumi Ishibashi, one of the best players in the region.
Argentine stars on display
Challenges will come from Venezuela and Argentina, although lack of regular competition in the region means there is a lot of uncertainty regarding the quality of each team.
In the men’s section, assuming Argentina will lead, the inclusion Santiago Gómez Cora, the IRB Sevens World Series leading all-time try scorer is an attraction in itself. Uruguay and Chile are the next most experienced teams, Uruguay having played at RWC Sevens 1997 and 2005 with Chile winning the Bowl at RWC Sevens 2001.
Uruguay will be led by Ignacio Conti, a veteran of RWC 2003 and RWC Sevens 2005, while the coach of Chile will be Edmundo Olfos, who is currently injured and regularly a member of the Chilean XV and Sevens teams.
The Colombian men’s team arrived in Uruguay six days earlier with 15 members of the squad bunked in one flat in Montevideo where the sister of one of its players lives in order to finish their preparations.
Most teams have done their share of effort to ensure they arrive as prepared as they can because the dream of going to Rugby World Cup Sevens 2009 in Dubai is too big to take it lightly.
Men’s Squads:
ARGENTINA
Alejandro Abadie (San Fernando), Federico Amelong (Jockey Club de Rosario), Nicolás Bruzzone (San Isidro Club), Adrián Cherro (Lomas Athletic), Ramiro Del Busto (Los Matreros), Lucas González Amorosin (Pucará), Pablo Gómez Cora (Lomas Athletic), Santiago Gómez Cora (Lomas Athletic), Agustín Gosio (Newman), Alfredo Lalanne (San Isidro Club), Francisco Merello (Regatas Bella Vista) and Andrés Romagnoli (San Fernando)
Coach: Duncan Forrester
Manager: Sergio Castello
Physio: Pablo Millikonsky
BRAZIL
Julian Menutti (Bandeirantes), João Luiz Da Ros (Desterro), Giuliano Passini (Río Branco), Daniel Hubbert Greg (Niterói), Antônio Górios Filho (Rio Branco), Fernando Assumpção (Rio Branco), Adriano Machuca (São José Rugby), Erick Monfrinatti Cogliandro (São José Rugby), Fernando Portugal (São José Rugby), Lucas Duque (São José Rugby), Mateus Duque (São José Rugby) and Rafael Dawalibi (São José Rugby)
Coach: Mauricio Carli
Manager: Edson Taminato
Physio: Michel Kalil
CHILE
Cristóbal Westenenk (Old Boys), Pablo Llorens (P.W.C.C.), Javier Reyes (P.W.C.C), Cristóbal Berti (Los Troncos), Francisco Cruz (Old Macks), Alvaro Guerra (Old Macks), Germán Herrera (Los Troncos), Lucas Seccatore (Old Macks), Fabio Moreno (Viña Rugby), Percy Rasmussen (Universidad Católica), Roberto Infante (EEUU) and Pablo Mainguyague (Los Troncos)
Coach: Edmundo Olfos
Manager: Percy Rasmussen
Physio: Matías Osorio
Doctor: Sebastián Coda
COLOMBIA
Alejandro Alvarado (Carneros de Bogotá), Mauricio Álvarez (Universidad de Antioquia), Juan Sebastián Clavijo (Barbarians de Bogotá), Pablo Lemoine (Carneros de Bogotá), Alfonso Ramirez (Universidad de Medellín), Daniel De Castro (capitán)(Barbarians de Bogotá), Carlos Mario Lopez (Universidad Pontificia Bolivariana Medellín), Juan Scharrer (Universidad de Antioquia), Alejandro Londoño (Universidad de Antioquia), Pablo Parra (Universidad EAFIT), Sergio Orrego (Universidad EAFIT) and Alex Ruda (Carneros de Bogotá)
Coach: Carlos Tejada
Manager: Javier Castellanos
Trainer: Alvaro Gomez
Doctor: Besik Chaduneli
PARAGUAY
Rafael Boccia, José Otaño, Walter Hoppe, Diego Duarte, Alex Staudt, Guillermo Figueredo, Rodrigo Llamosas, Ever Hard Heidel, Leandro Pérez, Juan Benítez, Guillermo Catáneo and Francisco Gangoiti.
Coach: Alberto Daher
Manager: David Sosa
Physio: Gabriel Baiter
Trainer: Emilio Flores
PERU
Christian Díaz (Flaming Lions), Raúl Salgado (Universidad de Lima), José María Pareja (Flaming Lions), Girgis Morote (Old Markhamians), Jorge Abugattas (Flaming Lions), Daniel Cino (capitán)(Flaming Lions), Carlos García (Flaming Lions), Gonzalo Mansilla (Universidad de Lima), Pablo Vila (Old Markhamians), Gustavo Alarco (Flaming Lions), Mateo Carbone (Universidad de Lima) and Jorge Ugáz (Flaming Lions)
Coach: Arturo Espínola
Manager: José Andrés Razuri
Delegate: Ernesto Burneo
URUGUAY
Matías Arocena (Old Christians), Francisco Bulanti (Trébol de Paysandú), Emiliano Caffera (Champagnat), Santiago Carracedo (Old Christians), Ignacio Conti (Carrasco Polo), Ignacio Crosa (Old Boys), Juan Pablo Durán (Trébol de Paysandú), Ivo Dugongic (Pucarú-Stade Gaulois), Juan Martín Llovet (Old Christians), Andrés Lussich (Trébol de Paysandú), Nicolás Morales (Trébol de Paysandú) and Alejo Parra (Carrasco Polo)
Coaches: Luis Pedro Achard and Álvaro Pérez
VENEZUELA
Rodolfo Caviccioni, Carlos Ancheta, Carlos Aponte, Carlos Barboza, Miguel González, Carlos Mata, Alejandro Correa, Daniel Totesautt, Carlos Patiño, Gabriel Rivas, Juan Pablo Baptista and José Baptista
Coaches: Adrián Romani and Ernesto Requena
Manager: José Rodriguez
Women’s squads
ARGENTINA
Leticia Alcaraz (I.S.E.F. Corrientes), Gisella Acuña (Charoga), Yanna Benetti (Municipalidad de Vicente López), Maria Eugenia Botelli (Malén RC), Natalia Campanella (Malen RC), María Luján Casal (Municipalidad de Vicente López), Rita Casorla (Facultad de Educación Física), Sonia Garat (Hindú), Marta Alicia Medici (Municipalidad de Vicente López), Gabriela Ptak (Municipalidad de Vicente López), Vanesa Salas (Municipalidad de Vicente López), Julia Santander (ISEF Corrientes)
Coach: Carlos Nallim
BRAZIL
Bárbara Santiago (Bandeirantes), Bruna Lotuffo (Bandeirantes), Fernanda Teixeira Silveira (Charrúa), Beatriz (Baby) Futuro Muhlbauer (Niterói), Cristiana Futuro Mulbauer (Niterói), Maria Mikaela Prado Pitta (Niterói), Geisa Correia Santos (Orixás), Giovana Zambrano (SPAC), Ayna dos Santos Cristovam (SPAC), Emily Barker (SPAC), Maria Gabriela Ávila (SPAC), Mariana Barbosa Ramalho (SPAC), Natasha D´Andrea Mônica Olsen (SPAC) and Paula Harumi Ishibashi (SPAC)
Coach: Flavio Santos
Manager: Edson Taminato
Physio: Michel Kalil
CHILE
Arami Silva (Garumas), Leslie Escobar (Garumas), Lorena Flores (Garumas), Francisca Almendra (Rucamanque), Karen Echeverría (Rucamanque), Angela Frez (Sede José Miguel Carrera), Carolina Alfaro (Panteras), Paola Saez (Panteras), Nicole Ogalde (U. Tarapacá), Ana Diaz (VARC), Nicole Álvarez (VARC) and Vinka Zoro (VARC)
Coach: Gonzalo Balbontin
Manager: Sibila Valle
COLOMBIA
Alejandra Betancur, Angela Toro, Diana Tangarife, Alejandra Triana, Karen Mejia, Yakeline Agudelo, Sandra Ruiz, Guadalupe Lopez, Veronica Tangarife, Luciana Restrepo, Angela Arcila, Ingrid Torres and Luisa Carmona
Coach: Hector Hoyos
Prep Fisico: Alvaro Gomez
Doctor: Besik Chaduneli
Manager: Javier Castellanos
President: William Paul
PARAGUAY
Patricia Coronel, Claudia Ocampos, Adriana Guayuan, Jazmín Prado, Andrea Zárate, Cielo Arrúa, Yesica Mendoza, Jessica Ruiz Díaz, Deisy Cardozo, Liz Acuña, Carolina Candia and Diana Diarte.
Coach: Carlos Gómez.
Manager: Martín Lugo
PERU
Ana Carrasco, Ximena Choy, Elinda Erasmus, Angela Gutiérrez, Ursula Boza, Melissa Mur, Rosa Rengifo, Diana Riesco, Paola Roldán, Elizabeth Sánchez, Rosa Valdivieso, Paola Vidal and Pamela Tassi
Coach: Arturo Espínola
Manager: Diego Saravia
Delegate: Ernesto Burneo
URUGUAY
Valentina Almeda (Salto Rugby), Adriana Altamiranda (Salto Rugby), Lucía Calvo (Champagnat), Flavia De María (Salto Rugby), Lucía Del Pino (Champagnat), Carolina Frutos (Salto Rugby), Stephane Kazak (Champagnat), Doris Rodríguez (Vaimaca), Virginia Sienra (Champagnat), Claudia Stocco (Champagnat), Cecilia Verocai (Vaimaca) and Claudia Withmaier (Salto Rugby)
Coaches: Miguel Risso and Sebastián Perona
Manager: Catherina Caffera
Trainer: Germán Verocai
VENEZUELA
Ingrid Griffin, Duque Mariana Rodón, Mariana García, Yudanis Eduardo, Trilivett Suárez, Oriana Parkinson, Marisell Méndez, Claudia Contreras, María Urbina, Verónica García, Adelfa Manrique and Andreína Ferreira
Coach: José Queirel
