The Lusitanos, Castilla y León Iberians, Delta, Brussels Devils, Romanian Wolves and Bohemia Rugby Warriors will clash over the course of the next three months, and we went on a mission to select the twelve star players for you to keep your eyes on, many of whom will already be familiar.
For the second of a two part series we look at some of the stars and the submitted squads for each team.
Don’t forget you will be able to vote on the Try of the Week after each round of action in the competition.
Delta
Thymotheus Peters (Front row / Dutch international)
Another generational talent from the Rugby Europe youth pathway, Thymotheus Peters, will add blockbuster physicality to the Delta forward pack, steering the scrum to his will.
A former Racing 92 member, Peters may seem a one-dimensional player at first glance, but he is so much more than that. The prop’s skills range from a strong offloading game to sharpshooting tackling that makes him a valuable asset for his team.
So, be warned of Thymo Peters, as he isn’t here just to make up the numbers.
Daan van der Avoird (Wing / Dutch international)
One of the most prolific try-scorers from the Rugby Europe scene, Daan van der Avoird is to play his fourth Super Cup season and will be targeting the opposition in-goal area from the first kick off.
As said previously by commentator Dallen Stanford, van der Avoird is one of the Super Cup’s most slippery eels out there, evading tacklers left and right, to then sprint unopposed to the finishing line.
Avoird’s running skills and vast experience will be key to guiding a new generation of Delta players towards more glorious times.
Delta – Full Squad
Dennis Baart, Dirk Bruil, Ben Campbell, Mark Coebergh, Harald de Vries, Mathijs de Wit, Bjorn Dolman, Tom Eelman, Bilaal Egberts, Oludamilare Fadahunsi, Jackson Hay, Guus Henkes, Hendrikus Hoos, Matthew Jones, Tyren Kroos, Niels Khun, Eli Leber, Monty Leverstein, Pharell Luesink, Vikas Meijer, Wytze Molenkamp, Joris Niggebrugge, Thymotheus Peters, Max Raaphorst, Carlos Roberts, Wouter Roters, Bram Roters, Nils Schouten, Rembrandt Siebenga, Jack Slob, Joris Smits, Ilan Vaasen, Sam van Berkel, Toine van den Bos, Daan van der Avoird.
Lusitanos
João Granate (back row / Lobos international)
For those who enjoy a good jackal turnover and snipping tackles, the Lusitanos have the perfect player to satisfy your appetite, as Lobos international João Granate is renowned for his defensive skills.
The 28-year-old back row has a special knack for pilfering the ball from the opposition when they least expect it, providing a counterattacking platform for either the Lusitanos or Portugal.
With Simon Mannix at the helm of the Portuguese franchise, operators like Granate will have a centre-stage role, bridging the Lusitanos' many strategies together.
Nuno Sousa Guedes (fullback / Lobos international)
Will this year mark the return of Nuno Sousa Guedes to God-like form and push the Lusitanos towards Super Cup glory? While the utility back was out of action for most of the last two years, he is still seen as a game-changer and a vital piece of the Lusitanos and Portugal puzzles.
Between 2022 and 2023, Sousa Guedes averaged three line breaks per Super Cup game, opening cracks and gaps in the opposition’s defence, guiding his side’s attacking manoeuvres with ease and fineness.
With Australia 2027 on the horizon, this year’s Super Cup is set up to be the perfect platform for Sousa Guedes to jump back into the spotlight, pulling a few unpredictable tricks in his way to the try area.
Lusitanos – Full Squad
Francisco Almedia, Alfredo Almeida, Tomas Amado, Hugo Aubry, Diogo Almeida, Joran Bacon, Samiel Bacon, Vasco Baptista, Tomas Batista, António Campos, Guilherme Costa, Andre Cunha, Lourenço Durao, Martim Faro, Edmundo Ferreira, Pedro Ferreira, Jose Lavos, Casco Leite, Mateis Liborio, Pedro Lopes, Pedro Lucas, António Malgalhães, Tomas Marques, Rodrigo Marques, Antonio Martins da Costa, Nuno Mascarenhas, Sabata Mokhachane, Luis Moreira, Duarte Nunes, Manual Pinto, Antonio Prim Da Costa, Nuno Sousa Guedes, Afonso Tapadinhas, Diogo Teixeira.
Romanian Wolves
Alexandru Savin (loosehead prop / Stejarii international)
Alexandru Savin’s devotion to Romania and the Romanian Wolves is undoubtedly inspiring, as the bulldozing scrummager doesn’t stop working and fighting for his team/country until the game’s last second.
Savin’s relentless work-rate and scrummaging expertise are just some of the loosehead prop's top skills, making him one of the fiercest front-rowers in the Romanian setup.
For the Wolves to succeed, they will need Savin at his best, as he can unlock their scrum potential and get them closer to victory land.
Gabriel Pop (utility back / Stejarii international)
Two years until the next Men’s World Cup, two years for Gabriel Pop to become a staple name of the Stejarii, and it all starts with this season’s Rugby Europe Super Cup.
Seen as a generational talent, Gabriel Pop enjoyed his first flavour of World Cup fun in 2023 and is now on a mission to deserve another shot at becoming a main starter for the Stejarii.
His slick ball-handling skills, tackling prowess, and ball-chasing abilities will play a critical role in the Romanian Wolves performances.
Romanian Wolves – Full Squad
Andrei Andreica, Vasile Balan, Cristian Bumbac, Racan Calin, Ediard Cioroana, Ioan-Stefan Cojocariu, Alexandru-Sebastian Coman, Alexander Dinu, Ionut Donici, David Florea Jilaveanu, Gabriel Jipa, Sikote Joji, Denis Loghin, Toni Maftei, Iulian Melinte, Dragos Mihai, Alexandru Mircea, Silviu Mircea, George Motrea, Stefan Motrea, Kuselo Moyake, Marian Muntianu, Daniel-Andrei Neagu, Cristian Nedelcu, Razvan Pasnicu, Mario Perici, Gabriel Pop, Sergiu Puescu, Mariano Radu, Adrian Radu, Alexandru Savin, Daniel Siraciov, Ionus Spiridon, Florin Surugiu, Andrei Toader, David Trausan, Raul Uzbasich, Costel-Cosmin Vasilache.
You will be able to watch every game live on Rugby Europe’s YouTube channel and Rugby Pass TV.
Photos by Dennis Van De Sande, Luis Cabelo & Razvan Pasarica
