By Joe Santamaria
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In September of 2023, Felipe Etcheverry was on top of the world, having led his Uruguay team to just their fourth ever win at a Rugby World Cup.
12 months later, he was back playing amateur rugby in Montevideo, about as far from rugby’s elite as possible. For Etcheverry, it was precisely where he needed to be.
He told The Rugby Paper: “After the World Cup, I was mentally exhausted but I had already agreed to sign for Miami Sharks. I had some amazing experiences in Miami but I didn’t enjoy my rugby there.”
Having taken the decision to leave his home, Etcheverry was back after just one season in the MLR. After years dedicated solely to his craft, he became aware of all the things he had been putting on hold:
“For eight years I never stopped. You have to work, to study, to spend time with your friends.”
It was then that Etcheverry decided to step back from the sport in order to finish his business degree.
He ruled himself out of Uruguay’s tour to Europe and threw himself into the kind of life he hopes to live once he hangs up the boots for good.
Back to his roots
The rugby he did play couldn’t be further from the heights of the World Cup. For six months, he played amateur rugby for Carrasco Polo, the club he joined at the age of six.
Given his four brothers also play for the side, the surroundings could hardly have been more familiar.
“It was amazing to play with them again, and with my friends too. Now I’m loving rugby again. I’m excited to train in the morning, I’m so excited to play for Uruguay again.”
The love of the game is clearly back and it is showing on the pitch. Since his return to professional rugby with Peñarol, Etcheverry has looked back to his very best and has starred in his team’s surge to the top of the Super Rugby Americas table.
Champions in each of the two seasons before his departure to Miami, the team’s return to form since his comeback underlines his importance to Uruguayan rugby.
If the country is to reach a fourth consecutive World Cup, they will need their fly-half at his best. Qualification for the tournament begins in the summer with a two-legged playoff against Paraguay, after which Chile are their most likely rivals for a direct place.
Having been used largely as a replacement in 2019, and as a starter in 2023, Etcheverry knows his role this time around will be different still.
Different Role
He said: “They [his teammates] say that I’m the old man in the team! We have a lot of players who are 19, or 20. I feel my job is to help these guys express themselves. I really enjoy this new role in the group.”
At 28, Etcheverry’s status as an elder statesman may be somewhat premature. If his country are to keep on improving, it will be as much due to his performances on the pitch as his influence off it.
His side have come close to the statement victory every Tier Two side craves in recent times. They pushed France and Italy at the World Cup and were level against Scotland with 15 minutes to play in July.
“These countries have huge histories. We know we’re climbing a mountain but we’re ambitious. In these games, I realised that we can do it – we can beat these teams.
“We learn so much from these matches. However, inexperience at that level costs teams, especially in the last 15 or 20 minutes. This has been the issue for all Tier Two teams for years.”
Uruguay’s Progress
In the wake of such close results, it is worth taking a moment to remember how rapidly Uruguay’s progress has been achieved.
Their 2015 World Cup squad was entirely amateur. In 2019, they only had 15 contracted players.
Should they qualify, the 2027 tournament will mark the first time Uruguay have had an entirely professional four-year cycle. What then, do they hope to achieve?
“I want to show all the kids in Uruguay, all the little Felipes, who are 10 or 11 years old, what it feels like to play for Uruguay. All my life, I dreamed of being there.”
On the pitch, his goals are greater still: “We want to be one of the top eight in the world.”
For a team that has only won four games across five iterations of the tournament, this is a lofty ambition but the likes of Japan have shocked the world before.
They have been where Etcheverry is hoping to go. If they do manage it, it won’t just be Etcheverry’s dream they are living, it will be the entire country’s.
