‘Favoured’ replacements emerge for Super Rugby side on the verge of ‘going bust’
Jaguares players wave to their supporters after losing 19-3 to the Crusaders in the Super Rugby in Christchurch, New Zealand, Saturday, July 6, 2019.
A return to Super Rugby Pacific is on the cards for former title contenders the Jaguares if the Melbourne Rebels go ‘bust’ according to reports.
The future of Super Rugby is set to be discussed in Melbourne this week, with talks around the potential demise of one of Australia’s teams believed to be at the top of the agenda.
This comes as the Melbourne Rebels entered administration and are on the brink of insolvency. Meanwhile, there are also growing concerns around the Brumbies’ financials.
Jaguares’ return fast-tracked
According to a report by the New Zealand Herald, the Jaguares could be the team added back to the competition to “plug the Melbourne Rebels’ expected exit”.
Last year, Unión Argentina de Rugby President Gabriel Travelaglini confirmed that they had received an invite to potentially return to Super Rugby in 2026, but that looks set to be pushed forward in the case that the Rebels go bust.
“Should the Rebels collapse as expected, the Herald understands the Jaguares are fast firming as the favoured replacement,” the report read.
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It adds that former Los Pumas captain World Rugby vice-chairman Agustín Pichot is behind the scenes “pulling the strings” to make the Jaguares’ return feasible, although it would be a lean budget.
However, the Jaguares are “ready to go” in 2025 if they are allowed back into the tournament that they withdrew from due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
In 2019, the Jaguares reached the final of Super Rugby, where they were ultimately defeated 19-3 by the Crusaders.
The Jaguares were unable to feature in any of the regionalised formats of Super Rugby in 2021 due to the pandemic, and with no competition in sight in the short term, they released most of their players from their contracts in order to sign for clubs in Europe.
The Jaguares were disbanded in 2022 due to the expansion of Super Rugby Americas, with the squad splitting in two for the tournament, but is set to return upon their reunion with the Australian, New Zealand and Pacific Island teams in Super Rugby Pacific.
Negotiations for renewed broadcasting deals are set to commence soon, and the report adds that maintaining a 12-team competition is needed to secure the financial security of the over 11 teams.
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