November 20th 2024.
The City of Glendale's publicly funded rugby team has recently found itself in hot water after being sued for backing out of their plans to hire an Argentinian coach in 2023. The team, known as the American Raptors, had been participating in the Super Rugby Americas League, where they faced off against Fernández Lobbe's previous team, Los Pampas.
The lawsuit, which was filed on November 14th, claims that the decision to hire Fernández Lobbe was made after the Raptors were defeated 63-0 by Los Pampas. The team saw this as an opportunity to improve their coaching staff and attract more talent. Fernández Lobbe, a former professional rugby player, had been coaching since his retirement in 2011, most recently with Los Pampas.
At the time, Fernández Lobbe was considering multiple offers, including one to coach Spain's national rugby team. However, when Glendale approached him with the opportunity to work under his former coach, Marcelo Loffreda, he saw it as a chance to further his career in the United States. According to the lawsuit, Fernández Lobbe believed that coaching for the American Raptors would open up future opportunities for him in the country.
He signed a contract with the team on December 7th and was planning to move from Buenos Aires to Colorado on New Year's Day. However, things took an unexpected turn when Loffreda was diagnosed with a health issue that prevented him from coaching in 2024. As a result, Glendale decided to change their plans and let go of Fernández Lobbe for the upcoming season.
The city cited two incidents from the previous fall as the reason for their decision to fire Fernández Lobbe. However, he argues that those incidents occurred during the interview process and cannot be used to justify his termination. His lawyers claim that the city changed their plans because they found out Loffreda would not be able to join the team. Despite the city's attempts to offer him severance pay, Fernández Lobbe refused and was ultimately fired in early 2024.
In his lawsuit, Fernández Lobbe's lawyers argue that the City of Glendale has not been operating its rugby program in line with the standards of the American government. They claim that the city's actions are a breach of contract and have caused harm to their client's career. They also state that this is not how governments are allowed to behave in the United States and that Fernández Lobbe intends to hold the city accountable.
Meanwhile, the City of Glendale has announced that the Raptors will not be playing in 2025, unrelated to their coaching mishap. The city plans to use their stadium, Infinity Park, for youth rugby and other events. The park, which was built in 2007 at a cost of $22 million, was the first city-owned rugby stadium in the country.
It remains to be seen how the lawsuit will unfold and what the future holds for the American Raptors. As always, we will keep you updated on any developments. To stay informed about this and other business news, sign up for our Economy Now newsletter. Thank you for reading.
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