The Argentina national rugby union team (Spanish: Selección de rugby de Argentina) represents the Argentine Rugby Union in men's international competitions, The Argentine Rugby Union (). 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."Six Nations would be magnificent seven with us, pleads Pichot", Western Mail, 19 June 2006. 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. In the 2024 Rugby Championship, the Pumas first achieved wins against all three rivals in the same year, including a win against number one ranked South Africa.
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.Argentina is now part of Rugby Championship by Frankie Deges, The Buenos Aires Herald, 23 November 2011
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."La pasión cumple 100 años", La Nación, 10 April 1999¿Cuántas veces jugaron Los Pumas y los British & Irish Lions? on ESPN.com.ar, 7 Dec 2023
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."El pase del verano: Los Pumas dejan Adidas para vestirse con Nike", El Cronista, 27 November 2011 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."Nike presenta su camiseta de Los Pumas", Prematch website
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.Nuestra nueva identidad at UAR, 17 Apr 2023 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.El Regimiento de Granaderos a Caballo cumple 207 años on Argentina.gob.ar, 15 March 2019 The away kit was worn at the 2023 Rugby World Cup.Los Pumas jugarán el Mundial con una camiseta en homenaje a los Granaderos at Argentina.gob.ar, 29 Jun 2023Los Pumas usarán una camiseta en honor a los Granaderos on 7enpunto.com, 2 Jul 2023
In July 2026, Argentina played their 2026 Nations Championship match vs England wearing a kit that was an exact replica of the model worn by the Argentina football team during the historic "goal of the century" match in 1986, including details like the silver numbers on back. The kit –manufactured by Pumas kit supplier Le Coq Sportif, the same than Argentina in 1986– was a limited edition to commemorate the 40th. anniversary of the historic football match.La camiseta homenaje de Los Pumas al histórico Argentina vs. Inglaterra del Mundial 1986 on espn.com.ar. 18 Jul 2026Los Pumas usaron una camiseta inspirada en México ’86 en la derrota ante Inglaterra on tycsports.com. 18 Jul 2026
Kit suppliers PeriodKit manufacturerShirt sponsorRef.1963-1968 Noceto Sports (no shirt sponsor) Rugby en Hurling on Hurling Club1968-1977 Uribarri EL MES DE LOS PUMAS on Periodismorugby, 1 Nov 20061978–1998 Adidas Los Pumas cambian de piel by Alejo Miranda on La Nación, 25 Nov 20231999–2000 VISA 2000–2003 Topper Los Pumas tendrán un histórico cambio de camiseta luego de 12 años: la nueva marca que los vestirá on Infobae, 1 Feb 20242004–2011 Adidas La UAR firmó con Nike on Cronista.com - 10 Feb 20122012–2023 Nike Los Pumas dejan Adidas on Diario Uno Santa Fe 2024– Le Coq Sportif LeCoq Sportif Sponsor Oficial de la Unión Argentina de Rugby desde el año 2024 on UARMirá la nueva camiseta de Los Pumas on Olé, 3 Apr 2024
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."Lions": Los viajes olvidados by Ricardo Sabanes, 16 May 2017"El centenario del debut", Clarín, 13 June 2010
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."Argentina at ground: GEBA", ESPN Scrum.com 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."El club de rugby más antiguo de la Argentina" at Rugbytime.com , 19 September 2008"Buenos Aires Cricket & Rugby Club" at Centro de Documentación, Investigación y Referencia Histórica-Deportiva, June 2009
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."Adiós a un escenario de triunfos históricos", Clarín, 4 December 2005
Los Pumas played in Ferro Carril Oeste stadium between 1970 and 1986, when Argentina moved to Vélez Sarsfield Stadium.Memoria y Balance 1970 on UAR Some of the teams that visited those venues were Ireland, New Zealand, France, and Australia among others."El historial de los Pumas contra los grandes: los All Blacks, el único al que no le pudieron ganar", Cancha Llena, 8 August 2015"El historial de Los Pumas ante Australia, la tercera potencia", Infobae, 18 October 2015
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),SPRINGBOKS THRASH ARGENTINA TO CLINCH RUGBY CHAMPIONSHIP CROWN on Super Rugby, 11 Aug 2019 Estadio del Bicentenario in San Juan –where the team played tests v England and Wales (2017–18), and Estanislao López in Santa Fe (2017).
Records
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