The 2026 Super Rugby Americas (SRA) champion will be an Argentine team. Hours after the first Semi Final takes place between Los Dogos and Los Tarucas in Córboba, the second Semi Final will be played in the northern neighborhoods of Buenos Aires. The battle will be between Los Pampas and the rookie sensation, Los Capibaras.
Despite one team being a rookie, the match is a dream head-to-head for many in Argentina. The arrival of Los Capibaras meant a fourth franchise in SRA and one based in Rosario. It is a new take on the bustling capital against an industrial city upriver. It is the traditional Capital vs Interior between Argentina’s largest and third largest cities.
The regular season saw two excellent matches between the teams. Los Pampas 25-20 match in Week Three handed Los Capibaras their first defeat in SRA. The result was revered in Week 10 with Los Capibaras winning 28-21 in Rosario.
| SRA SEASON RESULTS |
June 05 – Peñarol 14-47 Pampas (Montevideo, UY)
May 29 – Pampas 30-28 Selknam (Buenos Aires)
May 22 – Pampas 59-0 Cobras (Buenos Aires)
May 11 – Pampas 38-39 Tarucas (Buenos Aires)
May 01 – Capibaras 28-21 Pampas (Rosario)
April 24 – Dogos 43-28 Pampas (Córdoba)
April 17 – Pampas 31-14 Yacare (Buenos Aires)
April 10 – Pampas 34-3 Peñarol (Buenos Aires)
March 28 – Selknam 31-34 Pampas (Santiago, CL)
March 22 – Cobras 19-49 Pampas (São Paulo, BR)
March 13 – Tarucas 22-43 Pampas (Tucumán)
March 06 – Pampas 25-20 Capibaras (Buenos Aires)
February 28 – Pampas 34-36 Dogos (Buenos Aires)
February 21 – Yacare 17-30 Pampas (Asunción, PY)
Won: 10
Lost: 4
 SRA SEASON RESULTS |
June 05 – Tarucas 42-15 Capibaras (Tucumán)
May 29 – Capibaras 25-26 Dogos (Rosario)
May 23 – Capibaras 34-17 Selknam (Paraná)
May 08 – Capibaras 53-21 Yacare (Santa Fe)
May 01 – Capibaras 28-21 Pampas (Rosario)
April 26 – Cobras 19-40 Capibaras (São Paulo, BR)
April 20 – Peñarol 32-38 Capibaras (Montevideo, UY)
April 13 – Capibaras 39-28 Tarucas (Rosario)
March 30 – Dogos 29-24 Capibaras (Córdoba)
March 21 – Selknam 27-17 Capibaras (Santiago, CL)
March 14 – Yacare 12-13 Capibaras (Asunción, PY)
March 06 – Pampas 25-20 Capibaras (Buenos Aires)
February 28 – Capibaras 54-12 Cobras (Rosario)
February 21 – Capibaras 34-7 Peñarol (Rosario)
Won: 9
Lost: 5
 LINE-UP CHANGES |
|
IN | OUT |
| 2 | Francisco Lusarreta | Ignacio Bottazzini |
| 9 | Lucas Marguery | Alejo Lavayén |
| 13 | Agustín Fraga | Santiago Pernas |
| 14 | Santiago Pernas | Nahuel Clausen |
|
IN | OUT |
| 3 | Enzo Avaca | Ignacio Orsetti |
| 6 | Ignacio Gandini | Jerónimo Gómez Vara |
| 8 | Manuel Bernstein | Ignacio Gandini |
| 9 | Alejo Sugasti | Juan Lovell |
| 13 | Bautista Estelles | Bruno Heit |
| 14 | Lautaro Cipriani | Franco Rossetto |
| 15 | Franco Rossetto | Tomás Sigura |
 NOTES |
- Lucas Marguery returns to captain Los Pampas from scrum-half. Matías Medrano filled the void in Montevideo last Friday.
- Santiago Pernas returns to his regular position of wing with Agustín Fraga back to start at outside center for the home side.
- Bautista Farisé is the SRA leading point scorer with 119 points this season. He will feature as a Pampas replacement.
- Manuel Bernstein captains Los Capibaras. He is a former Pampas player.
- The return of Bernstein sees Ignacio Gandini reverting to flanker. Gandini led the team in their underwhelming performance last weekend against Los Tarucas.
- Rotation between Ignacio Doligliani and Juan Bautista Baronio at fly half for Los Capibaras is reflected in their respective scoring this season. Dogliani has scored 88 points and Baronio has scored 66.
- Santiago Pernas (Pampas) and Franco Rossetto (Capibaras) are the try scorers per team with 9 each.
- Tobías Wade (Pampas) and Lautaro Cipriano (Capibaras) both scored 7 tries in the regular season.
- Both teams have players who ought to be in the frame for test duty for Argentina. Santiago Pernas is capped while his teammate, Santiago Cordero is a retired Puma.
- Injuries at fullback and hooker suggest it is worth keeping an eye on the stand-out SRA performers. Tobías Wade, Francisco Lusarreta and Martín Vaca are cases in point.
| PREDICTION |
The rookie season has been a true success for Los Capibaras. The team has been genuinely competitive and the league has benefitted from the team’s involvement. Los Pampas had two tough matches against Los Capibaras during the regular season for split results. Both teams are well-rounded in general with reliable set-pieces, combative forwards, creative backs and solid finishers. Cloudy conditions are expected but a cool rather than cold evening. Los Pampas enter as slight favorites.
| LINE-UPS |
PAMPAS
1 Matías Medrano, 2 Francisco Lusarreta, 3 Marcos Camerlinckx, 4 Rodrigo Fernández Criado, 5 Francisco Sluga, 6 Faustino Santarelli, 7 Augusto Cabano Wall, 8 Lucas Moresco, 9 Lucas Marguery (capt.), 10 Estanislao Renthel, 11 Jerónimo Ulloa, 12 Juan Cruz Corso, 13 Agustín Fraga, 14 Santiago Pernas, 15 Tobías Wade
Replacements: 16 Ignacio Bottazzini, 17 Nahuel Zunini, 18 Ramiro Berardi Calvo, 19 Joaquín Pascual Viale, 20 Juan Penoucos, 21 Alejo Lavayén, 22 Bautista Farisé, 23 Santiago Cordero
CAPIBARAS
1 Diego Correa, 2 Martín Vaca, 3 Enzo Fabrizio Avaca, 4 Lorenzo Colidio, 5 Lucas Bur, 6 Ignacio Gandini, 7 Felipe Villagrán, 8 Manuel Bernstein (capt.), 9 Alejo Sugasti, 10 Ignacio Dogliani, 11 Gino Dicapua, 12 Guido Chesini, 13 Bautista Estelles, 14 Lautaro Cipriani, 15 Franco Rossetto
Replacements: 16 Bernardo Lis, 17 Juan Ignacio Rodriguez, 18 Ignacio Orsetti, 19 Ignacio Alejandro Gallo, 20 Bautista José Grenon, 21 Juan Lovell, 22 Juan Bautista Baronio, 23 Bruno Heit
| MATCH OFFICIALS |
Referee: Tomás Bertazza (Argentina)
Assistant Referees: Francisco González (Uruguay); Tomás Ninci (Argentina)
| VS – HEAD-TO-HEAD |
March 26, 2026 – Pampas 25-20 Capibaras (Buenos Aires)
May 01, 2026 – Capibaras 28-21 Pampas (Rosario)