Ledesma tests positive for COVID-19 as one of eight fresh Pumas cases

10 Sep 2020, 21:57 by Tom Decent

Former Wallabies assistant and current Argentina head coach Mario Ledesma has tested positive to COVID-19 along with a number of other staff members and players.

Despite the news, Argentina is still hopeful of competing in the Rugby Championship against Australia, New Zealand and South Africa in November.

https://static.ffx.io/images/$zoom_0.408%2C$multiply_1.5109%2C$ratio_1.776846%2C$width_1059%2C$x_0%2C$y_50/t_crop_custom/q_62%2Cf_auto/4eeb429caad7c6c876e2d239de6a75a77714bb09 — Mario Ledesma during last year's Rugby Championship.Credit: AP

Last week, Argentina announced that six of its players had tested positive for COVID-19 and after another round of tests, it appears the virus is more widespread than first thought.

A statement posted on the Pumas website said: "The national team carried out a new batch of PCR tests. The results of the swabs showed the appearance of positive cases of COVID-19 in some members of the staff. Among them, the coaches Mario Ledesma, Nicolas Fernandez Miranda and Juan Martin Fernandez Lobbe.

"For their part, the new positive cases among the players correspond to Felipe Ezcurra, Matias Moroni, Tomas Cubelli, Matias Orlando and Mateo Carreras. Those infected were isolated, are asymptomatic and in good health."

Some members of the squad who have been isolated from others will continue to train, while others will have to quaratine for the time being.

Ledesma was the Waratahs and Wallabies scrum coach up until 2017 before taking on the job as Jaguares boss and then Argentina head coach.

SANZAAR will provide an update at 1pm today regarding the Rugby Championship.