The Torneo Nacional de Clubes is a club rugby union competition in Argentina, organised by the Argentine Rugby Union (UAR). The Nacional de Clubes is the main club competition in Argentine rugby, being contested by the winners of Torneo de la URBA (Buenos Aires Province) and Torneo del Interior (rest of provinces of Argentina), which play a single match final to define the national champion.
In its inaugural season, the tournament was contested by 16 teams, 8 from Buenos Aires and 8 from the rest of the provinces of Argentina. The competition has suffered several changes of rules and number of participants until present days. There was also a second division, "Nacional de Clubes B", with a similar format.Histórico: Clubes uruguayos tendrán cuatro plazas en el rugby argentino at referi.uy, held from 1993 to 2018, when the UAR reorganised all its tournaments.
With 11 titles (five of them won consecutively), Hindú is the Nacional de Clubes' most successful team.
History From 1993 to 2008, the competition involved 16 clubs, which were divided into four zones. The top two clubs of each zone qualified for the quarter-finals of the competition. The 16 best placed clubs in their respective regional championships were eligible to play the Nacional de Clubes. The number of teams were determined were: eight from Buenos Aires, two each from the Noroeste, Litoral and Córdoba and one from both Cuyo and Mar del Plata.
Due to scheduling problems, in 2009 the UAR re-launched the Torneo del Interior, a competition that involved clubs from all provincial unions outside Buenos Aires. The new formula of this tournament coincided with a complete overhaul of the Nacional de Clubes system, so the competition was contested by only 4 teams, 2 from the Torneo del Interior and 2 from URBA.
That format remained until 2013, when the UAR announced that after a three-year hiatus, the Nacional de Clubes would return with the original 16 team format since the 2014 edition,"Nuevo Torneo Nacional de Clubes a partir del 2014" . uar.com.ar. Retrieved 1 August 2013."La UAR anunció el nuevo formato para el Torneo Nacional de Clubes", La Voz, 14 Jun 2013 with 9 qualifying from the Torneo del Interior and 7 from the Buenos Aires Union.Reglamento Nacional de Clubes 2018 on UAR website
The UAR changed the tournament's format in 2019, with Torneo del Interior as a qualifier and the expansion from 16 to 24 participant clubs.Habrá cambios en las competencias para 2019 on diariouno.com.arAsí serán las competencias de la temporada 2019 by Juan Pablo Garcia at rugby.com.ar. Oct 25, 2018
Despite the changes introduced, the UAR modified the system in 2020Se presentó el calendario de competencias UAR 2020 at UAR. 7 Jan 2020, reducing the number of participants from 24 to only 4 so it would be contested by the finalists of URBA and Torneo del Interior A, which played two semifinals and one final, similar to 2009–2011 seasons format.La UAR modifica el formato del Nacional de Clubes en 2020 at espn.com.ar, 7 Jan 2020 Those changes were implemented due to the high number of matches in Argentine rugby and the creation of Super Rugby Americas ("Súperliga Americana de Rugby" by then) Nevertheless, the COVID-19 pandemic in Argentina forced the UAR to suspend all its competitions and Nacional de Clubes was not held during 2020 and 2021.
Starting from the 2022 seasonLa vuelta del Nacional De Clubes at uar.com.ar, 14 Nov 2022, the tournament was modified again, reducing the number of clubs to only two teams (champions of URBA and Torneo del Interior A), which play a single superfinal match.«Nacional de Clubes: SIC vs. Universitario, de Tucumán, una superfinal entre el campeón de Buenos Aires y el del resto del país para consagrar al mejor de la Argentina» at La Nación. 18 Nov 2023
Champions Below are detailed all the final results:
Ed.SeasonChampionScoreRunner-upVenueCity Ref. San Isidro Club 27–19 Tucumán R.C. Estadio GEBA Buenos AiresTodas las finales y campeones del Nacional de Clubes at espn.com.ar. 14 Nov 2023 San Isidro Club 28–12 La Tablada Estadio BACRC Villa de Mayo CA San Isidro 19–06 La Plata Estadio BACRC Villa de Mayo Hindú 21–11 Alumni Estadio BACRCVilla de Mayo Definen Hindú y Alumni. 2 Nov 1996 Jockey Club (R) 24–14 Hindú Estadio BACRC Los Polvorines "Hicimos todo para llegar a esta final" at La Capital. 12 Nov 2019 San Cirano 22–22 (none) Estadio del CASI San Isidro San Luis La Tablada 23–22 Duendes Estadio La Tablada Córdoba La Tablada, campeón del Nacional de Clubes 1999 at canalshowsport.com.ar (archived)) Hindú 27–14 Alumni Estadio BACRC Los Polvorines Hindú celebró por segunda vez at El Litoral Alumni 23–21 Jockey Club (Rosario) Estadio Alumni Tortuguitas Alumni se consagró campeón del Torneo Nacional de Clubes de rugby at infobae.com Hindú 31–27 Duendes Estadio Hindú Don Torcuato Nacional de Clubes: Hindú y Duendes en un duelo con historia at espn.com.ar Duendes 32–21 Los Tarcos Estadio Duendes RC Rosario Rugby: Duendes gritó campeón 6 Dec 2004 at cordobaxv.com.ar Hindú 17–13 San Luis Arelauquen C&GC Bariloche Hindú se consagró campeón del Torneo Nacional de Clubes at ambito.com San Isidro Club 17–13 Tala Estadio del SIC Boulogne SIC es el flamante campeón del Nacional de Clubes La Plata 32–13 Tucumán Estadio La Plata RC Gonnet La Plata es nuevo campeón del Nacional de Clubes at cordobaxv.com.ar San Isidro Club 33–8 La Plata Estadio del SIC BoulogneEl SIC fue contundente y se consagró campeón del Nacional de Clubes at infobae.com Duendes 28–18 Hindú Estadio Duendes RC Rosario Duendes R.C. campeón del Nacional de Clubes 2009 at norterugby.com.ar Hindú 25–22 La Tablada Estadio Hindú Don TorcuatoHindú es el más Nacional at aplenorugby, 28 Nov 2010 Duendes 26–23 La Tablada Estadio Duendes RC RosarioDuendes campeón del Nacional de Clubes 2011. 29 Nov 2011 Universitario (BA) 21–20 Duendes Estadio CUBAVilla de MayoCUBA es Campeón del Nacional de Clubes por primera vez en su historia at cuba.org.ar Hindú 27–25 Newman Estadio Timothy O'Brien Benavídez Hindu campeon del Nacional de Clubes at urba.org.ar Hindú 38–23 Belgrano A.C. Estadio Belgrano AthleticBuenos Aires Hindu bicampeon del Nacional de Clubes Hindú 20–10 Tala Estadio del CASI San IsidroTricampeón: Hindú le ganó a Tala y se consagró otra vez on La Nación. 29 Jul 2017 Hindú 25–0 Newman José Amalfitani Stadium Buenos Aires HINDU TETRACAMPEON del Nacional de Clubes Hindú 18–13 Jockey Club (Rosario) Estadio Hindú Don TorcuatoHindú ganó y es el pentacampeón del Nacional de Clubes by Hernando De Cillia at infobae.com Hindú 34–16 Duendes Estadio HindúDon Torcuato El gran 2022 de Hindú: campeón del URBA Top 13 Copa Star+ y Nacional de Clubes at espn, 23 Dec 2022 San Isidro Club 25–18 Universitario (Tucumán)Estadio del SIC Boulogne Nacional de Clubes: SIC venció a Universitario de Tucumán y se consagró campeón, 18 Nov 2023 Tucumán LT 22–17 Alumni La Caldera del ParqueTucumánTucumán LT se coronó como el mejor equipo de rugby del país at El Tribuno. 17 Nov 2024 Newman 38–15 Marista Estadio Timothy O'Brien BenavídezNewman se consagró campeón del Nacional de Clubes por primera vez en su historia at UAR. 15 Nov 2025
Notes
Titles by club TeamTitlesYears won Hindú 11 1996, 2001, 2003, 2005, 2010, 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019, 2022 San Isidro Club 5 1993, 1994, 2006, 2008, 2023 Duendes 3 2004, 2009, 2011 CA San Isidro 1 1995 Jockey Club (Rosario) 1 1997 San Cirano 1 1998 San Luis 1 1998 La Tablada 1 1999 Alumni 1 2002 La Plata 1 2007 Universitario (BA) 1 2014 Tucumán Lawn Tennis 1 2024 Newman 1 2025
References
External links