Something interesting is happening in Argentina
Roar Pro
By Oscar Jimenez, 15 May 2009 The Crowd is a Roar Pro
The Argentinean Jaguars on winning debut against Namibia. Photo by Prematch Argentina
The Jaguars – formerly Argentina A – have won the first game of two friendlies against the national representative team from Namibia in a match played in Buenos Aires last weekend.
Something interesting is happening in Argentina. Since early this year, the Argentina Rugby Union (UAR) is working hard on the development of a professional rugby team based in Buenos Aires.
The Jaguars, a 32 member squad consisting of players attached to the domestic amateur competitions, have a one year contract with UAR as senior professional players.
Namibia, a RWC 2007 contender that played in the same pool with Argentina in France, is currently in their preparation to the IRB qualifier round for the RWC 2011. They traveled to Buenos Aires to play two games against the Jaguars, the first professional rugby team based in Argentina.
About the match: Argentina won easily. A one way game with an unusually poor performance from the visitors.
The Jaguars were a fine machine, executing good rugby and taking any opportunity given by the South Africans.
The game finished with an impressive 62-7 score and ten tries in total..
The Jaguars and Namibia will play the second game on Saturday at La Plata city. The Argentineans will put an alternative team on the roster, with fifteen new players of the highly skilled 32 member squad.
The friendly game is probably anecdotal at this stage, but what is interesting is the emergence of a professional team that Argentina is developing, to play in regular competitions such as the Currie Cup or Super 14.
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Spiro Zavos said | May 15th 2009 @ 8:16am | Report comment
Argentina, after its terrific showing gaining third place in the 2007 Rugby World Cup, is quickly becoming a first tier rugby nation. Now finally there is an element of a professional game in Argentina, after its officials resisted for some years the IRB’s offer for substantial amounts of money to give up the amateur status of the game there.
Probably after 2011 the Tri-Nations will be converted into the Four-Nations. The problem is financing this arrangement in Argentina and getting the best players who are in Europe to be available for Test duties in the southern hemisphere.
But there is no doubt that the momentum is on for rugby in Argentina and a World Cup must be on the cards within the next couple of tournaments.
LeftArmSpinner said | May 15th 2009 @ 8:30am | Report comment
We welcome the Argentinians to Super rugby and Four nations ASAP. Come on down.
LeftArmSpinner said | May 15th 2009 @ 8:33am | Report comment
The how to was set out previously with a bold plan of having a fourth Super rugby conference in the Americas (Canada, USA, Argentina, Uruguay) that feeds into the Super rugby finals. The more the merrier and enough games to match NH salaries.
wallythefly said | May 15th 2009 @ 9:18am | Report comment
I’ve been barking on getting the Argies into the Four Nations for years. It seems finally its going to happen.
Justin said | May 15th 2009 @ 9:25am | Report comment
Argentina is quickly becoming a 1st tier nation? I think they have been in the first tier for some time!
Great to see some pro fixtures and teams being built there.
True Tah said | May 15th 2009 @ 9:46am | Report comment
Previously, at u21s level we used to have an annual Four Nations tournament, which included Tri Nations plus Argentina, the the Pumitas were very competitive.
Argentina’s problem is one of geography, they would be best off participating in the Currie Cup, and would love to see how the side would compete with the sides outside the Big 5 (e.g. Griquas). For all the talk about an Americas Cup, Argentina would be far too good for the rest of the continent, although I reckon the optimal situation would be for an 8-team semi-pro comp with sides based in Buenos Aires, Tucuman, Mendoza, Cordoba, Santa Fe, Rosario, Santiago (Chile) and Montevideo (Uruguay).
Interestingly, South Africa has really played a key role in the development of Argentine rugby, with Izaak van Heerden coaching the Pumas in the 1960s, and probably the biggest upset of all time when the Jaguars (an Argentine side in all but name) lost 50-18 one week and then won 21-12 the next week against the Springboks. May that relationship continue!
Having said that, there does not seem to be anything wrong with the existing structure of Argentine rugby, it has a very healthy junior and club setup that seems to produce a hell of a lot of professional players who go on to Europe, and who are proud to wear the sky blue and white, and not to mention the fact that Argentina also provides players for the Italian side as well. Maybe a domestic pro-structure would upset the balance? Is there the money in Argentina to go around? I understand there have been some financial problems for some of the Argentine futbol clubs, and futbol is far bigger than rugby in Argentina.
Alan Nicolea said | May 15th 2009 @ 10:19am | Report comment
Its great news indeed. Already counting down to the 2011 World Cup when we meet England. A repeat performance like 2007 should be on the cards.
JF said | May 15th 2009 @ 10:30am | Report comment
The national provincial structure is there as a sort of pre-season representative tournament, and these games do get television coverage, still very much an amatuer competition though. The problem I think is simply the lack of money that would be available to fund a professional competition, getting the pumas into one of the two top tier international tournaments would go along way to funding such a competition. The eight province competition including teams from Santiago and Motevideo would be ideal, subsequent games with north american provinces would be mutually beneficial, I don’t think they would be that far apart in terms of quality.
Lion Red said | May 15th 2009 @ 11:33am | Report comment
Would like to see this Jaguars team participate in the Pacific Nations Cup.
GilesG said | May 15th 2009 @ 11:36am | Report comment
I think your on to something!!
we will find out sometime this week what has been decided in that SANZAR meeting in Durban.
A Super 15 sounds inevitable but where is that other team coming from?
Melbourne? Pacific Islands? Japan? OR Argentina? They put themselves on the map during 07. It would be Great to see the Super 15 and Tri Nations become the four Nations.