SLAR to Change Name, Raptors and BC Team to Join
SLAR to Change Name, Raptors and BC Team to Join
One of the reasons that the USA and Canada had so much trouble with South American national teams is now opening its doors to North America.
SLAR, soon to be renamed Super Rugby Americas, is bringing in two North American teams for the 2023 season. A team out of British Columbia will field a combined Canadian-American squad in the competition. Meanwhile, the American Raptors out of Glendale, Colo., will also field a team of mostly US players but also, thanks to a partnership to develop high-level rugby in Colombia, a few Colombians as well.
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The growth of Super Rugby Americas into North America was jump-started by the Raptors program taking a trip down to play in Uruguay, and the Raptors have been vocal in trying to get American rugby players, especially those that might have been on the Eagles’ radar but not getting game time, some time on the field.
Under Director of Rugby Mark Bullock and Head Coach Sarah Chobot, the Raptors were born out of a plan to find athletes in other sports who might enjoy the transition to rugby. Good rugby players who are good athletes are often skimmed off by other sports, said Bullock, so maybe rugby could do the same.
The results so far have been good, with the Raptors going through intense training and learning, playing games, and putting players on professional teams. Current 7s Eagle David Still is a product of the program.
“There are multiple pathways,” said Bullock, who, along with Tony Smeeth, started the USA U19 program out of nothing back in the 1990s. “What we need, though, are players who train every day and then those players need to play.”
Chobot Takes Charge
The Raptors recently welcomed former All Blacks coach Brad Mooar to Glendale to work with the players. Mooar was reportedly very impressed with the athletic potential and the attitude of the players. He also urged the Raptors to take the “interim” out of Chobot’s title and make her permanent Head Coach.
Mooar wasn’t the only one impressed with the former women’s Eagle. The players, said Bullock, support her unequivocally.
“She is a player-centered coach but she holds people to account,” said Bullock. “She is very smart and extremely knowledgeable. The players love her.”
Looking North
The Raptors will bring in some players from Colombia because the Colombian Rugby Union doesn’t quite have the depth of talent to fill out a full team. Last year’s Colombian team, Cafeteras Pro, was augmented with Argentinians. So this is a way that the Raptors can give back while entering the league.
Not all of the Raptors in Super Rugby Americas will be those who just recently picked up rugby. Bullock is on the search for young players who want to develop at this level, and already at least two recent collegiate All Americans are in Glendale working out with the team—Ronan Murphy (Saint Mary's) has captained the squad on their fall trips South, and 2020 Scholz Award-winner Payton Telea Ilalio (also Saint Mary's). They have also found some Americans who are or were playing overseas who haven’t gotten a look with the national team, including former HS All American scrumhalf Ethan McVegh.
“We are looking for elite athletes,” said Bullock. “What we’ve found with the players who come to us from other sports is that they might be DI or another division, but what they usually are is an All American, or led the team in tackles, was the captain—a leader. It’s those guys who succeed as rugby players.”
Reports on the Canadian team with American additions is that the Americans will mostly be capped Eagles or close to it. The Super Rugby Americas is slated to begin play in February with playoffs in June. Teams from Brazil, Paraguay, Argentina, Uruguay, and Chile are also in the league. The Chile team that beat the USA in the World Cup Qualifiers was essentially the Selknam team that played in the 2022 SLAR competition.
