Argentina coach Mario Ledesma joins 11 players in testing positive for Covid-19

Argentina's coaching staff and five more players have tested positive for the coronavirus, adding to the six positive tests announced last week, the Argentine Rugby Union (UAR) said on Thursday.

Argentina head coach Mario Ledesma, and assistants Nicolás Fernández Miranda and Juan Martín Fernández Lobbe, had returned positives after a new round of testing, the UAR said in a statement.

The five players were Felipe Ezcurra, Matías Moroni, Tomás Cubelli, Matías Orlando and Mateo Carreras.

"Those infected were isolated, are asymptomatic and in good health," the UAR said.

The UAR revealed over the weekend that six players, including first-choice winger Emiliano Boffelli, tested positive at the team's training camp last week.

Loose forward Javier Oretego Desio tested positive in late August.

The new batch of COVID-19 infections comes with SANZAAR, the governing body of southern hemisphere rugby, poised to announce its decision on re-scheduling the postponed Rugby Championship later on Friday.

The Rugby Championship, which involves Argentina, Australia, New Zealand and South Africa, was tentatively scheduled in New Zealand in November-December but an outbreak of COVID-19 in Auckland has raised speculation the tournament may be held in biosecure hubs in Australia.