Pumas name 46-man squad in preparation of Rugby Championship as training restarts in Argentina

Argentina have named a 46-man squad in preparation of this year's Rugby Championship as training restarts following a five-month hiatus.

No rugby has been played in Argentina - which has been plagued by COVID-19 cases - since March, when the outbreak of the virus forced the suspension of Super Rugby.

However, the Argentine Rugby Union (UAR) said players called up to the national squad can re-start training in small groups at their Buenos Aires training ground, beginning Thursday.

With Argentina having recorded more than 250,000 cases of coronavirus, players will tested for COVID-19 prior to the squad assembles and with undergo daily temperature checks while in camp.

The squad features a mix of uncapped players and seasoned veterans based in Argentina, with Europeans-based stars such as Nicolas Sanchez and Agustin Creevy to be considered for a call-up at a later date.

Of those included in the squad, the likes of Julian Montoya, Tomas Cubelli and Emiliano Boffelli stand out as some of the more experienced members of the team.

Others, such as Jeronimo de la Fuente, Matias Moroni, and Matias Orlando, have been included despite departing for overseas clubs after the Rugby Championship as a result of the financial constraints that forced the Jaguares to release their players.

Their presence in the side will be complemented by the likes of Federico Wegrzyn, Rodrigo Fernández Criado and Santiago Montagner, all of whom are uncapped and play for Argentina's Super Liga Americana de Rugby club, Los Ceibos.

This year's revised version of the Rugby Championship is expected to take place in New Zealand between November and December as coronavirus continues to wreak havoc worldwide.

There will be concerns about the feasibility of hosting the tournament in New Zealand, however, after it was announced on Tuesday that there were new cases of community transmission in the country for the first time in over 100 days.

Should New Zealand retain its coronavirus-free status, it will continue to stand as the likely host of the Rugby Championship between November 7 and December 12.

46-man Pumas squad

1. Mayco Vivas

2. Nahuel Tetaz Chaparro

3. Federico Wegrzyn

4. Julián Montoya

5. Santiago Socino

6. Ignacio Ruiz

7. Jose Luis Gonzalez

8. Joel Sclavi

9. Santiago Medrano

10. Lucio Sordoni

11. Juan Pablo Zeiss

12. Lucas Paulos

13. Ignacio Calas

14. Rodrigo Fernandez Criado

15. Marcelo Toledo Valentini

16. Lucas Bur

17. Rodrigo Bruni

18. Tomas Lezana

19. Javier Ortega Desio

20. Francisco Gorrisen

21. Santiago Grondona

22. Santiago Montagner

23. Juan Bautista Pedemonte

24. Juan Martin Gonzalez

25. Joaquin Oviedo

26. Tomas Cubelli

27. Felipe Ezcurra

28. Gonzalo Bertranou

29. Gonzalo Garcia

30. Domingo Miotti

31. Joaquin Diaz Bonilla

32. Tomas Albornoz

33. Jeronimo de la Fuente

34. Matías Moroni

35. Juan Cruz Mallia

36. Matias Orlando,

37. Juan Pablo Castro

38. Santiago Chocobares

39. Lucio Cinti

40. Emiliano Boffelli

41. Santiago Carreras

42. Bautista Delguy

43. Sebastian Cancelliere

44. Mateo Carreras

45. Joaquín Tuculet

46. Juan Bautista Daireaux