NEWS

Looking For A Prize With Miami – Tomás Cubelli

Written By Joe Harvey

There is not a lot that Tomás Cubelli has not done in his career.

Before arriving in Major League Rugby as the Miami Sharks’ marquee signing ahead of the 2024 season, the 93-cap Los Pumas international had spent his career playing professionally in his native Argentina, Australia, and France.

For the past two seasons, the 35-year-old has been at the center of the Sharks as they have established themselves in the competition.

Last year, Miami ended the season 10 points away from Playoffs contention, but with two games left to play this regular season, the team is placed fourth in the Eastern Conference.

Starting this Friday night, Miami will have back-to-back clashes against Western Conference opposition, starting with the San Diego Legion before traveling to the Seattle Seawolves nine days later. Every moment matters.

“For me, I am getting to the age of 36,” Cubelli said. “I’m still feeling young, but I am enjoying staying motivated and really chasing this objective as if it was my first professional season.

“I think that is the main thing: trying to put the passion that I always face in every rugby challenge at this stage of my career. I think it is the best example of my commitment to this team.

“In the game we’ll be trying to take all that experience in action now, leading the team in attack and trying to give confidence to the boys.

“For me, it (Playoffs qualification) will mean a lot. Knowing all the work that is done behind (the scenes) by the front office, the staff, the ownership group, and the players.

“For me, it will be very joyful. It will be a good prize after all that work. Personally, I have really enjoyed putting in the work of coming here and building a rugby franchise in Miami.

“It is enjoyable, but at the same time, it is a lot of work and effort. So it would be nice to have the prize of making the Playoffs after these two games.

“I think (Miami) keep working and playing as we’ve been doing. The last two games of the regular season, it’s great to have it in our hands.

“For me, it’s to get out there and play our game. We don’t need more than that. That sounds easy, but I think we don’t have to overcomplicate it and keep doing what brought us here.”

Heading into Week 16, Cubelli has played in 11 matches for the Floridians, while Manuel Ardao, Tomás Cubilla, Shane O’Leary, and Marcos Young have starred in pink and blue.

A late-season surge of form has put Miami firmly in the top four of the Eastern Conference.

Having won five of their last seven matches, the Sharks are six points ahead of the fifth-place NOLA Gold and know that a win over San Diego, along with a loss for the Louisianans on the road to the Chicago Hounds, can send them into the postseason.

Victories over the New England Free Jacks, Houston SaberCats and Old Glory DC have displayed the Sharks’ growth in the past 12 months.

Going from a fledgling professional team to contenders is no mean feat, although head coach Jose Pellecina has done so after a first season full of learning alongside team captain Cubelli.

“We strengthened the squad,” Cubelli said. “We have more competition in the squad as well.

“I think every aspect of the franchise did a bit of an upgrade since last season. We are happy.

“In this moment of the season last year we were almost out of the Playoffs. Now, we still have our destiny in our hands.

“That is part of the journey of trying to get better year by year.”

One of the things that Cubelli has enjoyed most is watching the rise of his teammates.

At the end of the 2024 season, both Sean McNulty and Tomás Casares were called up to the USA Men’s Eagles for the first time and later made their Test match debuts.

Watching first-hand as his teammates went from being on the fringes of international selection provides a sense of fulfillment for the 35-year-old, who won his last cap for Argentina at the 2023 Rugby World Cup in France.

Thriving as part of a shiver comes down to a collective buy-in from the squad.

Miami have a number of South American players on its roster, Cubelli amongst them, along with Americans, Canadian’s and even further afield.

That combination of cultures held together by a Latin American spine has contributed to one of the most unique environments in MLR.

“We have a bit of Latin American flavor, and the team represents the way we love the sport in South America,” he said. “The Latin American culture, you can feel it in the team because it is in our DNA.

“One of my challenges when I came here and was announced as captain was to try to be genuine and bring that rugby culture.

“The good thing is, besides that culture, (is that) everyone has the same passion for the game, and the game is the common language. That makes things really easy, and they enjoy being a part of it.”