Paraguay’s National Rugby Team, Los Yacarés, or “The Alligators”, performed exceptionally well at the Sudamerican A Rugby 2025 Championship. The Yacarés beat Brazil in both games, and with these results, they qualified for the first time in Paraguayan rugby to the final qualification tournament for the Australia 2027 Rugby World Cup.. This championship is to be held in Dubai. Unfortunately, due to an administrative mistake, the team was forced to withdraw.
Tough defeats at first
The South American qualification tournament kicked off on 18 August 2024. Paraguay started from phase 2, facing Chile’s and Brazil’s directly. The Yacarés first faced Brazil, losing 77-17, and then Chile, losing 64-0.
In their last chance, the team faced Colombia. The latter came from the last position in phase 1 to the best ranking in World Rugby. With an astonishing 49-18, Paraguay qualified to the Sudamerican A Rugby, or Phase 4.
All the way to the top
After these pair of games, they played against Uruguay. In clear superiority, the latter ends up defeating the national side 116-10 in the global score. Uruguay goes to the final and Paraguay goes to the third-place match. The rival as a familiar face: Brazil.
On 11 October 11 2025, the first leg was played in Curupayty Heroes Stadium, located in Luque, 10 kilometres away from Asunción. Paraguay triumphed 39-19, ending a 10-year streak of no victories against Brazil. The Tupis ended the first half leading 19-17, but Paraguay settled down and made a great comeback.
One week later, on the pitch “Du Cambusano de Jacareí” located in São Paulo, both Yacarés and Tupis disputed the last place in a shocking match. Paraguay lined up with: Camilo Blasco, Agustín Benítez, Enrique Quinteros, Mariano Garcete, Juan Heisecke, Francisco Bareiro, Ariel Núñez, Ignacio Martínez, Gonzalo Bareiro, Sebastián Urbieta, Juan González, Ramiro Amarilla, Rafael Bareiro, Arturo López, and Joaquín Mussi.
The game was evenly balanced, finishing the first half with 17 points each. Brilliantly, Paraguay stood up and beat Brazil 31-24, earning their ticket to the repechage tournament.
An expensive mistake for the Yacarés
Some days after the celebration, the Paraguayan Union of Rugby (URP) released a public statement announcing their withdrawal from the tournament. In a press conference, they clarified that player Rodrigo Amarilla was mistakenly listed in the squad.
According to rule number 8 of World Rugby, the players allowed to play for a national rugby team are those who “were registered with a rugby body through a 60-month period, either a union, or club in the country that the player is representing, rather than needing an unbroken period of residency”.
This regulation came into effect on 31 December 2021. Gustavo Borgognon, head of URP, lamented the mistake. Ramiro Aramilla was born in the city of Mercedes, located in the province of Corrientes, Argentina. He made his debut for Paraguay in 2022, and since then, he has accumulated 50 months on his bag, being 10 months short.
World Rugby “acknowledges the voluntary admission of fault” and “accepts the explanation of the administrative mistake in adding a player to the squad”. This way, the Yacarés loses its opportunities of making it to the Australia 2027 Rugby World Cup.
Rugby is not alone in being a sport that is gaining tractions in Paraguay. If you are interested in knowing more about gaelic football, read this article about Las Arpas GAA, the first gaelic football club in Paraguay.
