What's new
The Front Row Forums

Register a free account today to become a member of the world's largest Rugby League discussion forum! Once signed in, you'll be able to participate on this site by adding your own topics and posts, as well as connect with other members through your own private inbox!

GARDNER NAMED FOR QLD LATINO TEAM

latingringo101

Juniors
Messages
585
GARDNER NAMED FOR QLD LATINO TEAM
BY ROBERT BURGININ
HOT NEWSIN FOCUSLATEST NEWSLATIN HEAT
FORMER Super League player Matt Gardner and Toronto Wolfpack squad member Andrew Zuluaga will be part of a Queensland Latino rugby league squad trying to steal their opponent’s thunder when a special Latino Origin game comes to Corrimal in the Illawarra region this week.

Gardner, who has Brazilian heritage and is the brother of former English Test player Ade Gardner, could easily have been playing his club football for Corrimal this season, but spurned the Cougars’ advances to settle with the Goondiwindi Boars in Queensland’s Toowoomba competition.

Coincidentally, one of his biggest tasks in Saturday’s looming clash between the Latin American communities of Queensland and New South Wales will be stopping new Corrimal signing James Horvat, who has represented Chile on both sides of the Pacific.

A product of the Parramatta Eels development system, Horvat is expected to play at five-eighth for the NSW Latino team, forming a potent backline combination with fullback Thomas Garrido who comes from the St George-Illawarra development system.

Both teams will put a Latino twist on the traditional nicknames for State of Origin, playing as the Cucarachas (Cockroaches) and Sapos (Cane Toads).

The Latino Origin concept was launched last year in Brisbane, where the NSW team won 32-8 after scoring three tries in the final 14 minutes to put a dominant end on an otherwise tight contest.
052A9410_bright-crop-300x193.jpg


Players either born in South and Central America, or with family background there, take part in the event as a showpiece of efforts to grow the game for new nationalities.

This year’s match will have the added bonus of being a selection trial for a composite Latin American team which will appear at the Emerging Nations World Championship in Sydney in October.

Aside from spearhead Horvat, others with links to the Illawarra area include Corrimal veteran Jye Sommers (Peruvian heritage), Port Kembla hooker Jose Martinez (El Salvador), Southern Steelers Police Rugby League representative Jon Munoz (Chile) and Flinders resident Juan Carlos Carrion (Peru) who normally plays prop but will run the water for this fixture.

As in the traditional Origin arena, the Queensland side is to be led by a player who graduated from Marsden State High, with coach and halfback Brad Millar and co-captain Trent Millar (both Chile) having attended the same school as NRL whiz Cameron Smith.

Queensland front rower Zuluaga (Colombia) will be a man of interest, having featured in Toronto’s early footsteps towards cracking the English Super League.

He is in Australia playing for the Charters Towers Miners in the Townsville competition, having been raised predominantly in the USA.

Aside from the Millar brothers, the Queensland team contains the Mendoza brothers – Oscar and Rafael – from El Salvador, and the Esera Catrileo brothers – Leonel and Iziah – from Chile.

Iziah Esera Catrileo is one of the best young players coming through the Latin American Rugby League system and is part of the rugby league program at Keebra Park State High, the same alma mater of Benji Marshall, Te Maire Martin and Ben Teo.

The multicultural regions of Western Sydney and Logan City are highly represented in the game, where many Latino families and students have come to settle in Australia in recent times.
Logan-contingent-300x169.jpg


Latin America presently has six nations ranked by the Rugby League International Federation and has experienced rapid growth since launching in 2013.

Chile last year won the first-ever Latin American Rugby League Championship, which they hosted, defeating Argentina 32-12 in the final of a tournament contested by 95 per cent domestic players.

The composite Latin American team to contest the Emerging Nations World Championship – known as the GYG Latin Heat – will be a mix of players flying from the opposite side of the Pacific and Latinos who star in Corrimal and a return bout in Noosa, Queensland on June 9.

Festivities at Ziems Park, Corrimal will kick-off at 5.30pm on Saturday with a tag exhibition for new and developing players, followed by the full-contact 80-minute Latino Origin at 6.30pm.

To purchase a Latino Origin jersey or other selection of merchandise, with all proceeds going to Latin American Rugby League, CLICK HERE.

The 100% volunteer-run Latin American Rugby League has been supported primarily by Guzman y Gomez Mexican Taquerias, Shield Security Pty Ltd, Tattoo Tears, Cast Graphics, IntaGas Services, LS Tax & Accounting Services, Retro-Com Digital TV Specialists, Colombianos en Brisbane, GMA Tourism, EMSA Education and Migration Services Australia, Lichtnauer and Associates Accountants, The Edge Home Loans, Oaky North Lodge CFMEU, ACTIVE Rehabilitation Physiotherapy, Radio Austral and Fighting For Fitness Gym.

GYG LATINO ORIGIN
Saturday, March 3
Corrimal, New South Wales
From 5.30pm

NSW CUCARACHAS SQUAD

Thomas Garrido (Chile)
Jose Nitor Alvear (Chile)
Frank Altamirano (Peru)
Patrick Caamano (Chile)
Alvaro Alarcon (El Salvador)
James Horvat (Chile)
Gabriel Papa (Uruguay/Argentina)
Jye Sommers (Peru)
Eduardo Wengener (Chile)
Paco Godinez (El Salvador)
Sean Day (Peru)
Brandon Tobar (Chile)
Simon De Araujo (Chile)
Fredy Arteaga (El Salvador)
Eugene Araya (Chile)
Luis Fhon (Peru)
Jose Martinez (El Salvador)
Jon Munoz (Chile)
William Gomez (Ecuador)
Josh Guzman (El Salvador)
Niko Cama (Uruguay)
Aaron Perez (Peru)
Elisardo Fernandez (El Salvador)
Joel Smith (Uruguay)
Coach: Andrew Charles
Manager: Col Smithers / Daniel Godinez
Trainer: Juan Carlos Carrion

QLD SAPOS
1. Anthony Maatouk (El Salvador)
2. Milton Mosquera (Colombia)
3. Oscar Mendoza (El Salvador)
4. Carlos Reyes Kiwikiwi (El Salvador)
5. Claude Jackson (Guyana)
6. Brad Millar (Chile)
7. Trent Millar (Chile)
8. Andrew Zuluaga (Colombia)
9. Iziah Esera Catrileo (Chile)
10. Rafael Mendoza (El Salvador)
11. Matt Gardner (Brazil)
12. Nick Doberer (Chile)
13. Sebastian Martinez (Colombia)
14. Daniel Mejia (Colombia)
15. Sebastian Schubert Arriaza (El Salvador)
16. Jonathan Espinoza (Chile/Nicaragua)
17. Leonel Esera Catrileo (Chile)
18. Alejandro Cruz (Colombia)
19. Juan David Espinal (Colombia)
20. Brandon Rodriguez (El Salvador)
Coach: Brad Millar
Manager: Robert Burgin
Trainer: Sebastian Maya Jimenez
 

Evil Homer

Moderator
Staff member
Messages
7,178
Any reason for so many Salvadorans? It's not a particularly big place, guessing they have a large community in Australia?
 

latingringo101

Juniors
Messages
585
Any reason for so many Salvadorans? It's not a particularly big place, guessing they have a large community in Australia?
Alot of Salvadorans came to Australia in the 80s and 90s due to the Civil war that occurred.

The majority of players which we have identified in Australia have been Salvadorian and Chileans hence their big representation in Latin Heat teams
 

latingringo101

Juniors
Messages
585
Sapos (QLD) defeated the Cucarachas (NSW) 28-26 in a fantastic game down in Corrimal, NSW last night!

Match report and video highlights to come soon
 
Top