Argentina national rugby union team

The Argentina national rugby union team (Spanish: Selección de rugby de Argentina) represents Argentina in men's international competitions, The Argentine Rugby Union (Unión Argentina de Rugby). Officially nicknamed Los Pumas, they play in sky blue and white jerseys. They are ranked 7th in the world by World Rugby, making them by some distance the highest-ranked nation in the Americas.

Argentina played its first international rugby match in 1910 against a touring British Isles team. Argentina has competed at every Rugby World Cup since the first tournament of 1987 and are considered by far the strongest team within the Americas, being undefeated against all but Canada, against whom they have suffered two losses.

The Pumas' impressive results since the 1999 World Cup have seen rugby's popularity in Argentina grow significantly. They have achieved several upset victories and are capable of regularly defeating Six Nations sides. In the 2007 Rugby World Cup, Argentina were undefeated in their pool and reached the semi-finals for the first time; they were defeated by South Africa in the semi-finals, but followed up with a win over France to claim third place overall. By the end of the competition, the team had reached an all-time high of third in the World Rankings.

After their advances in competitiveness and performance during the 2000s, coupled with their location in the Southern Hemisphere, Argentina was the only tier 1 nation that had no regular competition. Argentina officially joined The Rugby Championship on 23 November 2011. In their first tournament in 2012, Argentina secured a 16–16 draw with The Springboks in only their second game.

The 2014 Rugby Championship saw the first Championship-match win for Argentina who defeated Australia 21–17. 2015 proved to be a successful year for Argentine rugby, including their first ever win over South Africa in the Rugby Championship, and they reached another semi-final at the 2015 Rugby World Cup. In the 2016 Rugby Championship, the Pumas again defeated the Springboks. Although winless during the 2017 Rugby Championship, the Pumas achieved two wins in their 2018 campaign, defeating both South Africa and Australia. On 14 November 2020, the Pumas beat New Zealand 25–15 to record their first win over the All Blacks, and on August 27, 2022, they defeated the All Blacks for the first time in New Zealand. The wins against New Zealand meant that Los Pumas had finally won a match against every major Rugby union team.

History
The History of the Argentina national team starts with the first international played by an Argentine side against the British Isles in 1910 when they toured on South America. Argentina gained recognition in 1965, when the team toured South Africa playing a series of friendly matches there. In that tour the national team was nicknamed Los Pumas, a name that became an identity mark for Argentina, remaining to present days.

Argentina has taken part in all the Rugby World Cups since the first edition in 1987, their best performance being the third place achieved in 2007. Argentina followed their growing competitiveness in the Rugby Championship with a strong showing in the 2015 World Cup, reaching the semi-finals for the second time. The national side has also played in the Rugby Championship since the 2012 edition, after joining the competition one year before.

Colours, symbol and name
Argentina alternated blue and white jerseys during its first international matches in 1910. In 1927 Mr. Abelardo Gutiérrez of Gimnasia y Esgrima de Buenos Aires proposed that Argentina should play against the British Lions wearing a striped light blue and white jersey. That request was accepted and Argentina wore the striped uniform for the first time in its history.

Los Pumas play in a shirt in the country's flag (and sporting) colours of light blue and white, white shorts, and socks in light blue and white. In 2011, the UAR signed a deal with Nike which became the exclusive kit provider for all its national senior and youth teams, including Pampas XV. The first uniform designed by the American company left the traditional horizontal-striped jersey behind, featuring a single light blue with white shoulders jersey, although it was announced that Los Pumas would wear its traditional uniform again when they play the 2012 Rugby Championship.

In September 1941, Abelardo Gutiérrez (who had proposed the use of a white and blue jersey for the team 14 years prior) suggested a badge with the figure of a lion. The color of the crest was blue (due to Buenos Aires Cricket Club, where the first rugby match in Argentina had been played). The animal was later replaced by a native to Argentine species, so the jaguar was chosen due to his "agility and courage", according to their words.

The Pumas nickname is the result of an error made by Carl Kohler, a journalist for the then Die Transvaler newspaper in South Africa, while following the team during their first overseas tour ever – to Southern Africa (to Rhodesia, now Zimbabwe, and South Africa) in 1965. He tried to devise a catchy nickname for the team similar to existing international team nicknames such as All Blacks, Springboks, and Wallabies. He asked Isak van Heerden, the then coach of the Natal Rugby team who was asked by the SARB to assist with the tour, for ideas. They saw a picture of a type of lion with spots on the UAR crest. Kohler was aware that the Americas had jaguars and pumas, and as he was under pressure to submit his article, made a guess and called them the Pumas, instead of the actual jaguar. The mistake stuck, and was eventually adopted by the Argentines themselves (although the UAR crest continued to depict a jaguar until 2023).

In April 2023, the UAR launched its new visual identity that included a change of emblems not only of the body but of the national teams, from senior to 7s and youth representatives. The process included the substitution of the characteristic jaguar figure with the puma, used as a namesake for the team since the 1965 tour in Rhodesia and South Africa. That same year the UAR released the Pumas' away kit inspired by the uniform of the Mounted Grenadiers Regiment, the Argentine military unit and presidential honor guard established in 1812. The away kit will be worn at the 2023 Rugby World Cup.

Home grounds
The Pumas use a variety of stadiums when playing at home. One of the most frequently used for tests is José Amalfitani Stadium, home of Club Atlético Vélez Sarsfield and sited in Buenos Aires. When Great Britain made their first tour to Argentina in 1910, the national team played them at Sociedad Sportiva Argentina of Palermo. That test was also notable for being the first Argentina match ever.

When the British combined returned to Argentina in 1927, the national side started to use GEBA and Buenos Aires Cricket Club as their home venues. GEBA was a frequent venue during the next decades, but hosted only three matches after the 1960s, as the Pumas started using larger stadiums; the Pumas' last match at GEBA was in 1993. On the other side, the Buenos Aires Cricket was also used for a large number of matches until 1948 when it was destroyed by fire.

In 1997 BACRC inaugurated the first purpose-built rugby union stadium in Argentina, erected in Los Polvorines, Greater Buenos Aires. A total of nine international games were played there by the national team until 2005 when it was sold.

Los Pumas played in Ferro Carril Oeste stadium between 1970 and 1986, when Argentina moved to Vélez Sarsfield Stadium. Some of the teams that visited those venues were Ireland, New Zealand, France, and Australia among others.

During the mid year tests in 2007, as well as Vélez Sársfield, Argentina played games at venues including Brigadier Estanislao López in Santa Fe, Malvinas Argentinas in Mendoza, and Gigante de Arroyito, in Rosario. Argentina have also used the River Plate Stadium in the past, and in 2006 hosted Wales at Estadio Raúl Conti in Puerto Madryn.

Other venues that have hosted Argentina rugby team were José M. Minella in Mar del Plata (2008), Monumental José Fierro in Tucumán (2012, 2014), Mario Kempes in Córdoba (2012), Centenario in Resistencia (2014), Padre Martearena in Salta (venue for The Rugby Championship, 2016–2019 editions), Estadio del Bicentenario in San Juan –where the team played tests v England and Wales (2017–18), and Estanislao López in Santa Fe (2017).

Overall
Argentina have won 249 of their 496 Test matches. When the world rankings were introduced by the IRB in October 2003, Argentina were ranked seventh. They fell to eighth in the rankings in June 2004, before rising back to seventh by November that year. They fell back to eighth in February 2005, and stayed there until falling to their lowest ranking of ninth in February 2006. Since then, Argentina rose to eighth in July 2006, then sixth in November of that year. They had a one-week fall to seventh, then one week later rose to fifth to start the World Cup 2007.

Los Pumas twice surpassed their highest ranking at the 2007 Rugby World Cup. Defeating number three France, the second opening game loss for a World Cup hosting nation, moved them into fourth place, their highest position since the IRB World Rankings were established. They lost to eventual champions South Africa in the semi-final but beat France yet again in the bronze medal round to set another highest ranking, third, behind South Africa and New Zealand.

Argentina has won every match against South American national teams, including 42 against Uruguay, 40 against Chile, 17 against Paraguay and 13 against Brazil.

On 14 November 2020, they registered their first win against New Zealand, meaning that they have recorded a victory over every Tier 1 nation.

The Rugby Championship
Updated: 17 September 2023

Current squad
On 19 June 2024, newly appointed head coach Felipe Contepomi named a 34-player squad for Argentina's two-test series against France and their away test to Uruguay.

Head coach: 🇦🇷 Felipe Contepomi
 * Caps and clubs updated to: 13 July 2024 (after game v France)

Hall of fame
Four former Argentina international players have been inducted into the World Rugby Hall of Fame.


 * Hugo Porta
 * (Inducted in 2008)


 * Agustín Pichot
 * (Inducted in 2011)


 * Felipe Contepomi
 * (Inducted in 2017)


 * Juan Martín Hernández
 * (Inducted in 2023)

One player was also inducted into the previous incarnation, the International Rugby Hall of Fame.
 * Hugo Porta
 * (Inducted in 1997)

Award winners
The following Argentina players have been recognised at the World Rugby Awards since 2001:

Coaches
The following people have served in the head coach role for Argentina:


 * 🇦🇷 Edmundo Stanfield (1932)
 * 🇦🇷 Luis Cilley (1936)
 * 🇦🇷 Carlos Huntley-Robertson (1936)
 * 🇦🇷 Edmundo Stanfield (1936)
 * 🇦🇷 Juan C. Wells (1954)
 * Dermot Cavanagh (1956)
 * 🇦🇷 Horacio Savino (1956)
 * 🇦🇷 Jorge Merelle (1959)
 * 🇦🇷 Robert Galarga (1960)
 * 🇦🇷 Saturnino Racimo (1960)
 * Izak van Heerden (1965)
 * 🇦🇷 Ángel Guastella (1965–1973)
 * 🇦🇷 Carlos Villegas (1974)
 * 🇦🇷 Eduardo Poggi (1975)
 * 🇦🇷 Carlos Villegas (1976–1977)
 * 🇦🇷 Ángel Guastella (1978)
 * 🇦🇷 Aitor Otaño (1978–1980)
 * 🇦🇷 Rodolfo O'Reilly (1980–1983)
 * 🇦🇷 Héctor Silva (1983–1987)1987 RWC
 * 🇦🇷 Rodolfo O'Reilly (1987–1990)
 * 🇦🇷 Luis Gradín (1990–1993)1991 RWC
 * 🇦🇷 Héctor Méndez (1993–1994)
 * 🇦🇷 Alejandro Petra (1994–1995)1995 RWC
 * 🇳🇿 Alex Wyllie (1995)
 * 🇦🇷 Héctor Méndez (1995)
 * 🇳🇿 Alex Wyllie (1995–1999)1999 RWC
 * 🇦🇷 Marcelo Loffreda (2000–2007)2003 RWC; 2007 RWC
 * 🇦🇷 Santiago Phelan (2008–2013) 2011 RWC
 * 🇦🇷 Daniel Hourcade (2013–2018)2015 RWC
 * 🇦🇷 Mario Ledesma (2018–2022)2019 RWC
 * 🇦🇺 Michael Cheika (2022–2023)2023 RWC
 * 🇦🇷 Felipe Contepomi (2023–present)

Most matches


Last updated: Uruguay vs Argentina, 20 July 2024. Statistics include officially capped matches only.

Most tries


Last updated: Uruguay vs Argentina, 20 July 2024. Statistics include officially capped matches only.

Most points


Last updated: Uruguay vs Argentina, 20 July 2024. Statistics include officially capped matches only.

Most matches as captain
Last updated: Uruguay vs Argentina, 20 July 2024. Statistics include officially capped matches only.

Most points in a match
Last updated: Uruguay vs Argentina, 20 July 2024. Statistics include officially capped matches only.

Most tries in a match
Last updated: Uruguay vs Argentina, 20 July 2024. Statistics include officially capped matches only.