Súper Liga Americana de Rugby


The Superliga Americana de Rugby is a professional rugby union competition and the top-level championship for many countries in South America. In the 2020 season it will be contested by five teams with a team each from Argentina, Brazil, Chile, Paraguay, and Uruguay with a future team from Colombia joining in 2021 after playing an exhibition series against the 5th-placed team at the end of the season later in May 2020. Officially sanctioned by Sudamérica Rugby, which is consequently part of World Rugby, the league was officially launched in November 29, 2019.
Starting in 2020, SLAR will be held in parallel with Major League Rugby in the spring in order to provide quality competition in the Americas for the sport of rugby union, with MLR as the "northern conference" meanwhile SLAR will be the "southern conference" of the Americas Rugby.

History

SLAR was first announced in April 2019, with in mind of forming between six and eight professional franchises, two each in Uruguay and Brazil meanwhile Argentina and Chile will get a franchise each with plans to add two teams in 2021 with an additional team in Argentina and one from Paraguay. In November, SLAR's plans are changing, as they are expecting a league of seven clubs, two each in Brazil and Uruguay with one team each in Argentina, Chile, and Paraguay.
At the official announcement, SLAR confirmed the number of the teams for the 2020 season will be set at five for the regular season due to the economical issues but SLAR is expected to be expanded at some point in the future, possibly in 2021 when the Cafeteros Pro will join at the end of the regular season to play a home and away series against the 5th-place finisher in the 2020 season before joining the league full-time.

Competition Format

Superliga Americana de Rugby will span four months from February through May. For the first season, five of the six clubs Ceibos, Corinthians, Selknam, Olimpia Lions, and Peñarol will take part in a double round-robin regular season, playing twice against each other team, once at home and once away, for a total of eight games. The top four teams will qualify for the championship playoffs to determine a season champion. The fifth place regular season team will play a series against Cafeteros Pro to determine the fifth-place team.
Like Super Rugby and Major League Rugby, and the Pro14, this league has no promotion and relegation.

Teams

Current teams

There are six teams confirmed for the 2020 Superliga Americana de Rugby season, five of which will participate in the regular season.
TeamCityCountryStadiumCapacityJoinedCoach
Cafeteros ProMedellínColombiaTBATBA2020
CorinthiansSanto AndréBrazilEstádio Bruno José Daniel11,4402020
CeibosCórdobaArgentinaTala Rugby Club6,0002020
Olimpia LionsAsunciónParaguayEstadio Héroes de Curupayty3,0002020
PeñarolMontevideoUruguayEstadio Charrúa14,0002020
SelknamSantiagoChileEstadio Nacional Julio Martínez Prádanos40,0002020

Expansion candidates

At the initial announcement, Brazil and Uruguay originally would have two team each, but instead one team each will play in 2020 season, meaning it may be possible for the two countries to expand in the future by placing a team in Florianópolis and a team to become Club Nacional de Football in Uruguay With the possible changment of Super Rugby in a Trans-tasman competition, Argentina could adds a second team, based in Buenos Aires, in 2021.
Speculations talk also for participations of teams from Spain and Portugal.