Uruguay head coach Esteban Meneses has named his 33-man squad for the 2023 Rugby World Cup in France.
The squad features a blend of experience and youth, with Santiago Arata and Manuel Ardao both returning after missing the 2019 World Cup. There are also first call-ups for Mateo Sanguinetti, Matías Benítez, and Facundo Gattas.
Sanguinetti is a young prop who has been in impressive form for Peñarol, while Benítez is a talented back-row forward who has been capped by Uruguay at Under-20 level. Gattas is a versatile player who can play in the backs or forwards.
The squad is as follows:
Forwards:
- Mateo Sanguinetti (Peñarol)
- Matías Benítez (Olímpia Lions)
- Facundo Gattas (Old Glory DC)
- Germán Kessler (Stade Français)
- Guillermo Pujadas (Clermont Auvergne)
- Ignacio Péculo (Peñarol)
- Diego Arbelo (Peñarol)
- Reinaldo Piussi (Stade Montois)
- Ignacio Dotti (Peñarol)
- Manuel Leindekar (Peñarol)
- Felipe Aliaga (Peñarol)
- Manuel Ardao (captain, Stade Français)
- Santiago Civetta (Montpellier)
- Manuel Diana (Peñarol)
- Lucas Bianchi (Peñarol)
- Carlos Deus (Olímpia Lions)
- Juan Manuel Rodriguez (Peñarol)
- Eric Dos Santos (Peñarol)
Backs:
- Santiago Arata (Castres Olympique)
- Santiago Alvarez (Peñarol)
- Agustín Ormaechea (Stade Français)
- Felipe Etcheverry (Peñarol)
- Andrés Vilaseca (Peñarol)
- Nicolás Freitas (Olímpia Lions)
- Felipe Arcos Pérez (Castres Olympique)
- Tomás Inciarte (Peñarol)
- Gastón Mieres (Stade Français)
- Baltazar Amaya (Peñarol)
- Juan Manuel Alonso (Olímpia Lions)
- Rodrigo Silva (Peñarol)
- Bautista Basso (Clermont Auvergne)
- Ignacio Facciolo (Peñarol)
Uruguay are drawn in Pool A alongside New Zealand, France, Italy and Namibia.
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They will begin their campaign against France in Lille on September 14, 2023.
Meneses said: “We are excited to announce our squad for the Rugby World Cup. It is a talented group of players who have worked hard to earn their selection.
“We have a challenging pool but we are confident in our ability to compete and win. We are looking forward to the tournament and giving it our best.”
Uruguay are one of the most improved teams in world rugby in recent years. They finished third in the 2019 Rugby Championship Americas, their best ever finish. They will be looking to make a good impression at the World Cup in 2023.
The squad features a number of experienced players who will be key to Uruguay’s chances, including Arata, Ormaechea, and Vilaseca. There are also a number of exciting young players in the squad, such as Sanguinetti, Benítez, and Arcos Pérez.
Uruguay will be hoping to make a deep run at the World Cup and challenge for a place in the quarterfinals. They have a tough pool to navigate, but they have the talent and experience to do so.
See more: Meet the Players Who Will Be Competing for Rugby World Cup Glory in France
