Fresh from winning the French Under 19 Rugby League Championship, Catalans Dragons talent Renato Amaro Silva has flown around the world to represent his native Brazil against South Africa tomorrow.
Born in Goiânia in central Brazil, Amaro Silva is a prop forward who has travelled an unusual path to the upper levels of global rugby league.
Having arrived in Noosa this week to represent the Carcarás, he will be a Brazilian living in southern France, flying on a Portuguese passport.
Amaro Silva will become the first active player from either the English Super League or NRL systems to pull on the jersey of Brazil.
“Along with the six players we have flown to Australia from the domestic Brazilian competition, it’s exciting to be bringing together a team from across the world and developing pathways for the future,” Brasil Rugby League general manager Robert Burgin said.
“Of our 17 players on game day, we expect 13 positions will go to players actually born in Brazil, with four qualifying under the parent rule.”
The six current players from the Brazilian domestic competition featuring in the game have undertaken two four-week development tours, observing and training alongside the Sunshine Coast Falcons (main picture with Falcons forward Darryn Schonig), a feeder team to the Melbourne Storm.
Their opponents South Africa last played international league in 2019, when the Cook Islands beat them 66-6 in a World Cup qualifying game.
The Cook Islands team contained Charnze Nicoll-Klokstad, Tepai Moeroa, and Brad Takairangi.
Brasil suffered a last-up 40-8 defeat against the Philippines in 2021, meaning both nations will be determined to return to the winners’ circle.
Captain Shane Gillham said the South African Rugby League Rhinos had selected a strong squad for the match, featuring some familiar faces and some new blood with seven debutants named.
Under new head coach Darryl Fisher, who has his brother Hayden Fisher on the team staff as head strength and conditioning trainer, the team were determined to turn around their World Cup qualifier campaigns of 2015 and 2019 where they lost against Lebanon and the Cook Islands respectively
“Players are flying from Mackay, Emerald, Sydney, Perth, Brisbane, Gold Coast looking to build a base foundation again,” Gillham said.
South African Rugby League v Brasil Rugby League
When: Sunday, June 5 – 3pm
Where: Noosa District Sports Complex (home of the Noosa Pirates)
Watch: South African Rugby League v Brasil Rugby League
Squad lists
| Brazil Rugby League | South Africa Rugby League |
|---|---|
| 1. Ravi Araujo (c) 2. Gabriel Domingues 3. Steven Braga 4. Fellipe Dittz 5. Otavio Dias 6. Heitor Fleury 7. Murilo Manzutti 8. Renato Amaro Silva 9. Simon De Araujo 10. Diego Sanches Nogueira 11. Rubens Gomes 12. Antonio Caleiro 13. Donovan Barreira 14. Vinicius Guedes Silva 15. Marco Mendes 16. Rafael Melo 17. Leonardo Teles 18. Dylan Nunes 19. Juan Casanova |
1. Luke de Vlieg 2. Jason Cutler 3. Jean-Charl Smith 4. Byron Hutchison 5. Darren O’Donovan 6. Bevan Devries 7. Kam Cryer 8. Joel Tubbs 9. Harry Blake 10. Shane Gillham (c) 11. Ethan Sweet 12. Brad Sparrow 13. Aden Perry 14. Jason King 15. Kalum Gulliver-Brown 16. Johan Louw 17. Jovan Pienar 18. AJ Pretorious 19. Herschel Classen 20. Chelsea Adams |
| Coach: Paul Grundy | Coach: Darryl Fisher |
