Leinster backs coach Felipe Contepomi has revealed that he has not been contacted by the Argentine rugby union over the country’s vacant head coach role.
Argentina’s head coach Mario Ledesma announced last month that he was stepping down from the role, citing personal reasons for his decision.
Since then, French publication Midi Olympique reported that Contepomi was in pole position to take charge of Los Pumas, while Stade Francais head coach Gonzalo Quesada is also thought to be in the running.
Contepomi was speaking at a Leinster press conference and insisted that talk of him returning to his home country is only rumours and said that he hasn’t heard from Argentina’s rugby union.
Felipe Contepomi plays down Argentina links.
“There’s not much I can say, from the union, no one contacted me,” Contepomi said, via the Irish Independent.
“I think it comes more from a rumour. From what I read in the news, I haven’t heard anything official from the union publicly, I have as much information as you.
“I think it’s more of an estimation because they put the names of Argentinian professional coaches, which is not that many, so that’s how they chucked them into it. But there is nothing obvious that I know.”
La Unión Argentina de Rugby anuncia la desvinculación de Mario Ledesma como head-coach de @lospumas, luego de haberse desempeñado en el cargo durante 3 años y medio. pic.twitter.com/8df3nLQv5V
— Unión Argentina de Rugby (@unionargentina) February 9, 2022
Los Pumas remain on the hunt for a new head coach.
As Contepomi mentioned above, there aren’t many professional Argentine rugby coaches in the world, as there is only one professional club, los Jaguares, operating in the country.
Los Jaguares played in Super Rugby from 2016 to 2020, but were ejected from the competition following the cancellation of the 2020 season due to the Covid-19 pandemic.
Since 2021, the Jaguares have played in the Super Liga Americana de Rugby (SLAR) and are coached by former Argentina international Carlos Ignacio Fernandez Lobbe.
Ledesma became Argentina head coach after coaching los Jaguares, although the union are less likely to promote Fernandez Lobbe in a similar manner, as SLAR is played at a far lower level than Super Rugby.
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