When you hear the name Che Guevara, the last thing you would associate with him would probably be rugby. But the iconic figure who graces so many living room walls was a die-hard rugby enthusiast.
His love of rugby knew few boundaries. When studying medicine he brought out his own magazine called Tackle. But his love for the 15-man game started much earlier then that.
In 1942, aged 14, was when the rugby bug got hold of Guevara, and it never let go. Guevara was a chronic asthmatic.
When he took up playing for Estudiantes de Cordoba, his protective father expressed his disapproval about his son playing this brutal sport. Guevara responded that he didn’t care if the game killed him, he loved rugby too much to stop. His father never questioned him again.
Despite Che’s lack of size, he was surprisingly strong and loved to tackle. He spent most of his time in the backs, and they say he resembled a young Felipe Contepomi: fast, skilful, and could move like the wind.
After he finished high school he moved back to his home town of Buenos Aires, where he studied to be a doctor. There he played with his good friend Dr Contepomi. This is where he started getting really stuck into rugby, playing for Atalaya Polo Club, Ypora, and San Isidro.
The spirit of Che Guevara lives on though the Pumas. Former captain Agustin Pichot made a statement about Guevara in 2007, ahead of Argentina’s World Cup quarter final, that “His love of rugby and our love of rugby is the driving force.”
Argentina play rugby against the odds, just as Che tried to over throw corrupt governments. Both have a true underdog story, with the Pumas having giving the likes of The All Blacks and the Springboks a run for there money, despite never having the kind of money or player pool that the powerhouses of rugby have had.
In 2007 they beat France twice, the same team that humiliated the All Blacks in the World Cup. It was only the Springboks that kept the Pumas from a final berth.
With the Pumas finally getting the go ahead in the revamped Four Nations series, and playing against the best countries in the world, there must be some anxious teams in the Southern Hemisphere, most notably the All Blacks. They have alway’s been the dominant force, but are things about to change?
The real sleeping giants in rugby are the South Americans. The sport has always been amateur in Argentina, which has always lacked the cashflow to develop players the way the Kiwis and South Africans have. Yet they have always been a dangerous proposition against any opponent, and that’s what makes them scary.
No matter what happens this year, the new Four Nations should be a joy to watch, and I can only see the Pumas getting better. I know when the Argentines play the Kiwis and South Africans, I will wave my Che Guevara flag high and proud. Will you?
Matthew Skellett
Guest
Well I assume that means you won't wave a flag with George Bush or his Father or Mr Howard or Mr Blair on it either :-)
Sharminator
Roar Rookie
Regarding Argentina, they have developed a lot over the last 15 years, but the Argentine domestic structure is still their weakness. The top level of rugby in Argentina Argentina is the domestic regional championship, the Campeonato Argentino, which is played before club rugby competitions. It is held in March and April,. and has 3 divisions, and 24 teams (this year it will have 28 with Chile, Uruguay, Paraguay and Brazil being added). However teams are divied into pools of 4 ... and to win the final you only actually have to play 5 games, 3 pool games, a semi final, and final. If you love you only play 3 games, so it isnt a particularly demanding competiton. Additionally, due to player numbers, and strength, realistically only URBA (Buenos Aires), Cordoba and Tucuman have the ability to win, and they generally beat most of the other teams by a wide margin. The base of Argentine rugby is actually the URBA Top 14 ... the Top level of the Buenos Aires club Competition. Most high level players from other areas move to URBA to play, because of the higher standard of play, better coaching and work opportunities. However .... professional rugby still does not exist internally in Argentina. Last year the Jaguares (basically Argentina B and comprised of Argentina based players) won the Vodacom Cup in South Africa (which runs parelell to the Super 15), but after the tournament the Buenos Aires Union banned any of the players playing for Buenos Aires clubs, as they thought it would be unfair for "professionals" to play against amateurs. The old farts are still in charge of Argentina rugby, and Argentina is still a long way from being capable of fielding a Super rugby team, and is the only country in the Top 10 rugby countries in the world that does not any form of profesisonal domestic rugby. The improvementes in Argentine rugby have bascially been down to their best players playing, and having success in Europe. European clubs liked signing Argentinians as many have Italian o Spanish passports, so dont qualify as foreign players, and dont have the same national team committments such as the 6 nations that domestica players have. An irony is that now that Argentina is in the Rugby Championship, some Argentinians have not had their contract renewed, Horacio Argulla, of the Leicester Tigers was told his contract wouldnt be renewed as he will probalbly be with the Pumas during the rugby championship and miss the first few months of the Premiership. Its good that Argentina is now in a top competition with guaranteeed regular games, but Argentina needs to reorganise its own domestic structure and provide some form of competative domestic profesisonal rugby to develop its players.
Sharminator
Roar Rookie
Rugby isnt just "a rich man´s game" in Argentina. In BUENOS AIRES rugby is a rich mans game, dominated by Private Schools and Social Clubs like Newmann and Liceo Frances, SIC and CASI .. .. however it is a completey different story in the provinces of Argentina. In some provinces such as Mendoza and Tucuman rugby rivals football for popularity. Proportoinately, compared to playing numbers and population, a high percentage of Pumas come from the countryside as opposed to Buenos Aires..
mattamkII
Guest
never stops mazing me how many people refuse to accept that often tyrants are just people with differing views. Che lived and traveled in a very different world at a very different time. I do not condone much of his attitudes, teachings and or actions but I refuse to write off everything about the guy based on reverse logic.
panatellas
Guest
Alberto Granado, who accompanied Che through South America as portrayed in "The Motorcycle Diaries', became Professor of Medicine at the University of Havana and was the founding patron of the Cuban Rugby Union in 1996 until his death last yeat at 88. The first IRB sanctioned Rugby 7s tournmament was held in Havana in 2010.
George
Guest
Why write about a cold blooded killer - he was scum.
drop kick
Guest
i presume you would like the union jack removed from the Oz flag then.
King of the Gorgonites
Roar Guru
rugby is in fact the rich man's game in South America
Onor
Guest
Argentina are the sleeping little men.. RUSSIA are the sleeping giants!!!! I agree with a few things guevara said.. but I don't think I'd wave a flag... when they play the U.S it'll be Guevara and CIA flags spinning in the air. I'd steer clear of the politics in Rugby. Theres already too much.. Putin loves rugby. He even sent his right hand man to NZ to watch Russia play the U.S... bla bla bla .. keep politics outta rugby!!! But then hangon you tend to see prince harry following the lions so.. hmm... i guess its always going to be part of the game.
The Battered Slav
Guest
Agreed with openside. He was essentially a terrorist, and no amount of soppy, romaticised films like Motorcycle Diaries will ever wash that away for me. And All_Black30, Rugby is very much the rich man's game in Argentina, as it is in most of the world bar NZ and Wales. Soccer is the peoples' game in Argentina, with Rugby being played almost exclusively in private schools and universities. ....and you will find that Che loved rugby not because of its purity, but rather because he came from a wealthy Argentine/Irish family and went to an exclusive private school (like any self-respecting socialist revolutionary!!) But all that aside, bring on Los Pumas and viva la Rugby Championship!!!
formeropenside
Guest
I will never wave a flag with a murderer on it.
all_black30
Guest
Wow!! I didn't know Che loved rugby, Im pretty sure rugby ain't the rich man game in Argintina because it's amateur. I think Che loved rugby cause it was pure not like soccer so corrupt in south america not rugby butt!!!
luke20
Guest
Good write up mate it makes me proud to know che picked rugby over soccer go Argentina
King of the Gorgonites
Roar Guru
i have read a bit of about this before. Like all good born again socilaists, Che had a priviliged upper-class upbringing, which in Argentina brought him into contact with Rugby. You can take the boy out of the bourgeois, but you cant take the bourgeois out of the boy.....