Albanese’s experience of playing in european rugby with Leeds Tykes and Gloucester in England and Grenoble in France was a factor in his selection to work with fellow coaches Eduardo Fernández Gill and Eduardo Viazzo.
“The inclusion of Diego into the U20 coaching set up, with his many years of playing experience in the top european competitions is an important addition to the great experience of Fernández Gill and Viazzo,” said Ricardo García Fernández, the Chairman of the Selection Sub-committee.
“We must remember that the U20 tournament, for the principal Unions, is the last stage of their development into elite professional rugby. Our youngsters must go well-prepared in all senses and conscious of the type of rugby they will come up against in Wales.”
Albanese, who started and ended his playing career with the San Isidro Club in Buenos Aires, won fifty-five caps for Argentina and played in three Rugby World Cups, scoring the only try as they defeated Ireland 28-24 at the Stade Felix Bollaert in Lens to reach a first ever quarter-final in 1999.
He follows in the footsteps of another former Pumas star in working with one of Argentina’s age grade teams after Patricio Noriega coached the team to eight place at the IRB U19 World Championship 2007 in Belfast, Northern Ireland.
Those U19 players from Belfast will form the basis of the Argentina U20 squad for the IRB Junior World Championship 2008, where they will face New Zealand U20, Ireland U20 and Tonga U20 in Pool A at Cardiff Arms Park in the Welsh capital.
