Uruguay Rugby Announces Total Structural Reset with 100% Native Coaching Staff

The Unión de Rugby del Uruguay (URU) has officially launched a bold new chapter for its national team, Los Teros, dismantling its previous management setup to establish a fully homegrown coaching staff. This massive shakeup comes just 14 months before the kickoff of the 2027 Rugby World Cup in Australia.

THE CATALYST: A DESIRED RETURN TO LOCAL ROOTS

The sweeping changes come immediately after the URU terminated the contracts of Argentine head coach Rodolfo Ambrosio and assistant Juan Figallo. Although the duo successfully secured World Cup qualification by defeating Chile on aggregate, a highly disappointing home campaign in the World Rugby Nations Cup—capped off by a shocking 42-40 loss to Hong Kong China in Montevideo—prompted an immediate board review.

According to the URU, the decision is not strictly about match results. Instead, the union aims to deploy a new strategic framework that bridges the gap between the professional national program and local amateur clubs. The union hopes that a native staff can better expand the player base and re-engage the entire local rugby community.

GUZMÁN BARREIRO STEPS INTO THE LIMELIGHT

To lead this transition, the URU has appointed Guzmán Barreiro as the new Head Coach. Barreiro is a deeply entrenched figure in Uruguayan rugby. He recently served as the High-Performance Director and head coach of the Los Teritos U20 squad, and was an integral assistant under Esteban Meneses during the country’s historic rise between 2016 and 2023.

By promoting Barreiro, the URU avoids ripping everything up and starting over, opting instead for established leadership with an intimate knowledge of the current roster.

LEGEND TRANSITION AND 100% URUGUAYAN STAFF

To maintain core tactical continuity, Joaquón Pastore (39 caps) will remain with the team as the lead backs coach. However, the most notable aspect of the new blueprint is the immediate inclusion of recently retired national legends.

Former captain Andrés Vilaseca (81 caps), who retired earlier this week, transitions directly into a technical coaching role under Barreiro. His former teammates Alejandro Nieto and Diego Magno will move up from their roles within the URU Academy system to join the senior technical pool.

Appointments come with Teros from past Rugby World Cups. Nicolás Grille (54 caps) and Federico Capó are now forwards coaches. Nicolás Brignoni (47 caps) is the game analyst. Agustín Ormaechea (60 caps) and Felipe Berchesi (49 caps) will be responsible for Uruguay’s players in Europe.

Ormaechea and Berchesi were joined in the backline by Gastón Mieres (84 caps), and Alberto Román (40 caps) in Los Teros Rugby World Cup comeback in 2015. Mieres and Román are also both in the Nuevo URU staff.

The URU’s goal of utilizing stars from the highly successful Meneses era is to pass down crucial culture, international standards, and leadership directly to the next generation of players.