Outgoing Argentina Rugby Union (UAR) president, Gabriel Travaglini has confirmed the focus for Super Rugby Americas (SRA) expansion. SRA 2026 is an eight-team semi-professional league. It contains four teams from Argentina and one each from Brazil, Chile, Paraguay and Uruguay.
In an interview with Santiago Angel, Travaglini explains that 10-team league is desired. Such a structure, says Travaglini, would enable SRA to be played over an extended period to make it increasingly professional rather than seeing players return to amateur clubs after June.
The contemporary 8-team format could become 10 with the inclusion of a second team from both Chile and Uruguay. Travaglini notes that such a possibility is being explored as both Chile and Uruguay are investigating adding a second team each.
Will 10 teams be the limit? No. Travaglini also explains that adding Los Capibaras this year rather than together last year with Los Tarucas was strategic. The UAR did not want to go too far too soon. Both teams are now here to stay as competitive teams in the South American League and Cuyo, based in Mendoza, has been identified by the outgoing UAR president, as a desirable base for another Argentine SRA team.
Further expansion possibilities can be identified such as a team based in Bahía Blanca or the potential return of a Colombian team. Be that as it may, a 10-team SRA would mean a format of home-and-away matches of twenty rounds additional weeks for play-off’s and expansion would see the SRA season structured to allow for a break for the July Internationals.