Buenos Aires (AFP)

The effects of the coronavirus pandemic on rugby in the southern hemisphere have come to obscure the horizon of the Jaguars, the Argentine franchise finalist last year for Super Rugby.

While Australia, New Zealand and South Africa are getting organized to play at home, the Jaguars, isolated several thousand kilometers away, are forced to rethink their future.

The Argentine Rugby Federation (UAR) has already authorized players to find agreements with other clubs or franchises, outside the country and even the continent, so as not to lose the rhythm of the competition.

Winger Juan Manuel Leguizamón, who is currently in the United States, expressed in Milenium Sports the "general sadness" of his teammates in the Jaguars: "they all hope that we will find a solution, to avoid the disappearance of 35 or 40 contracts ".

In New Zealand and Australia, five franchises will compete from July onwards for a domestic Super Rugby, but transport and logistical difficulties will prevent the Japanese from participating.

For the Argentines, a prospect would be to join in 2021 the Super African Rugby, but on condition of mobilizing 40 players during nearly four months, with high costs and limited incomes.

More realistic, the Super League of the Americas, recently created, would cause less expense and the Jaguars would automatically be the favorites. Last year, they only gave in to the Super Rugby final against the New Zealand Crusaders.

Emiliano Boffelli, one of the best Jaguars, has already received offers from Paris and English clubs, as did the hooker Julián Montoya and captain Jerónimo de la Fuente, while the Stade Français was rather interested in the second line Guido Petti .

"I will wait until the last minute to make a decision, but if there is a European offer that relieves the PSU, I will accept it," said de la Fuente, for whom stopping the participation of the Jaguars in Super Rugby would be "painful".

Several players are coming to the end of the contract this year, such as De la Fuente, Matías Alemanno, Joaquín Díaz Bonilla, Matías Moroni, Francisco Gorrissen and Matías Orlando.

The very good results of the Pumas at the 2007 and 2011 Worlds had enabled them to join the Tri-Nations of the southern hemisphere which became, with them, the Rugby Championship. Then the Jaguars joined Super Rugby and immediately obtained excellent results.

© 2020 AFP