The 2021 URBA Top 12 final was the final of the 122nd. edition of Torneo de la URBA, the regional rugby union competition organised by Unión de Rugby de Buenos Aires (URBA). It is the oldest rugby competition in South America and one of the oldest club competitions in the world.

The match was contested by Club Universitario de Buenos Aires (CUBA) and San Isidro Club (SIC), and was held in Estadio del CASI in San Isidro. Since the URBA implemented the playoffs system in 1998,El torneo de la URBA da un abrupto giro a partir de 2017 , La Nación, 20 May 2016 it was the 4th. final contested by CUBA (with one win in 2013 when defeated Hindú, winning a title after 43 years)En 2013, CUBA rompió la maldición y se consagró después de ¡43 años! at espn.com.ar while SIC played their 10th. final (with an impressive record of 7 out of 9 finals won).Historia at urba.org.ar

CUBA won the match 10–9,CUBA se consagró campeón del Top 12 de la URBA ante SIC at infobae. 11 Dec 2021CUBA se consagró campeón del URBA Top 12 y logró una cortar una racha de tres años at espn.com.ar. 12 Dec 2021 achieving their 15th. league title.

Qualified teams Team Previous final app. CUBA 2013, 2014, 2015 SIC 1998, 1999, 2002, 2003, 2004, 2005, 2010, 2011, 2019 Note

Venue

The final was held in La Catedral ("the Cathedral of rugby"),Estadio del CASI by Adrián Redi at estadiosdeargentina.com.ar, 11 Jan 2014 nickname of Estadio del CASI, earned due to it is distant 500 mts from the San Isidro Cathedral,CASI-SIC, el superclásico del rugby argentino on Deportea. 15 Oct 2024 a historic landmark since 1963.Historia y Arquitectura at catedraldesanisidro.orgCatedral de San Isidro Labrador (solar) at argentina.gob.arMONUMENTOS Y LUGARES HISTORICOS NACIONALES - Decreto 9.226/63 which has been the venue of URBA finals since 2008.Hindú, a lo campeón at aplenorugby.com.ar. 4 Nov 2007 The stadium, with capacity for 4,500 spectactors,Súper Rugby Américas: los estadios de todos los equipos on espn.com.ar. 12 Feb 2025 is one of the oldest in Argentina so the club has always been on the same site since 1902, when Manuel Aguirre, owner of a large chacra on Sánez Peña street, gave the club a portion to settle down there.

The stadium is located in downtown San Isidro, has a lighting system for night matches and a concrete grandstand inaugurated in the 1920s. When San Isidro competed in football tournament organised by AFA, the stadium was also used for that sport.Memoria y Balance 1922. Asociación Amateurs de Football at Biblioteca AFA

Road to the final Due to delays after the COVID-19 pandemic, the championship was shortened. In the first round, teams played each other in a single round-robin tournament format.Fixtures completos de división superior 2021Resultados Top 12 – Primera rueda (archived)

In the second stage, the 12 teams were divided into two zones (A and B), keeping the points earned in the first round and playing each other once.Resultados Top 12 – Zona A – 2º Rueda (archived)

The best two placed teams from each zone qualified to the semifinals in order to decide which clubs would play the final.

CUBA Round SIC OpponentResult First OpponentResult San Luis 32–12 (H) Matchd. 1 Pucará 43–22 (H) CASI 8–0 (A) Matchd. 2 Belgrano 29–19 (A) Buenos Aires C&RC 24–15 (H) Matchd. 3 Los Tilos 78–6 (H) Regatas BV 35–3 (A) Matchd. 4 Hindú 21–5 (A) Belgrano 36–22 (H) Matchd. 5 San Luis 36–29 (H) Hindú 25–36 (A) Matchd. 6 Newman 19–24 (A) Newman 23–25 (H) Matchd. 7 CASI 41–15 (H) SIC 8–13 (H) Matchd. 8 CUBA 13–8 (A) Alumni 28–25 (A) Matchd. 9 Buenos Aires C&RC 40–0 (H) Pucará 45–27 (H) Matchd. 10 Alumni 28–20 (A) Los Tilos 22–19 (A) Matchd. 11 Regatas BV 48–29 (H) Zone A Second Zone B Los Tilos 40–24 (H) Matchd. 1 Buenos Aires C&RC 57–36 (H) SIC 26–20 (H) Matchd. 2 CUBA 20–26 (A) CASI 19–16 (A) Matchd. 3 Belgrano 23–18 (H) Buenos Aires C&RC 35–24 (H) Matchd. 4 CASI 35–13 (A) Belgrano 19–40 (A) Matchd. 5 Los Tilos 13–11 (H) Pos. Team Pts. P W T L Qualif. 1 SIC60540114810444 Semifinals 2 CUBA54540113912415 Final standings Pos. Team Pts. P W T L Qualif. 1 Newman 63 550019770127 Semifinals 2 Hindú 561530216314419 CUBA Round SIC OpponentResult Stage OpponentResult Newman 16–15 (A) Semifinals Hindú 28–28 (H)

Notes

Match The first half saw both teams pairing forces, with neither team looking to take risks. The first advantage of the match came in the 7th minute through the foot of Marcos Moroni, who converted a penalty for CUBA. Later, at 15, after a frantic attack by SIC, Gastón Arias would do the same to tie the score at three. Eight minutes later, after a new incisive attack by the tricolor squad and thanks to the accuracy of Arias, SIC would go ahead for the first time in the match by 6 to 3.

The start of the second half was identical to the first, which was characterized by strategic play with the foot and both sides avoiding risks. But at 11 minutes, after a good movement by CUBA's backs, Lucas Piña, just like against Hindú in the semifinal, scored the only try of the match to put CUBA leading the score again. Marcos Moroni completed the conversion to leave the score 10–6 in favor of the university team.

However, the SIC reacted quickly through the foot of Joaquín Lamas, a man who returned from the 7s team, and thus shortened the distance to only one point with more than half time remaining. The rest of the match was very even until the 38th minute, when SIC attacked with their forwards and went in search of turning the score around. But Joaquín Lamas's drop, who had hit an identical situation in 2019 when SIC crowned champion, this time went wide. There was no time left for more after the failed drop, and CUBA finally won their 15th. URBA title.CUBA derrotó al SIC y es el nuevo campeón del URBA Top 12 at urba.org.ar. 13 Dec 2021

Match details

FB 15 Marcos Moroni RW 14 Marcos Young OC 13 Bautista Casaurang IC 12 Felipe de la Vega LW 11 Benjamín Ocampo FH 10 Rodrigo Avalos SH 9 Rafael Iriarte N8 8 Benito Ortiz de Rozas OF 7 Segundo Pisani (c) BF 6 Lucas Maguire RL 20 Lucas Pina LL 4 Santiago Uriarte TP 3 Estanislao Carullo HK 2 Enrique Devoto LP 1 Nicolás Solveyra Substitutions: P Benjamin Gutiérrez Meabe P Francisco Garoby FW Juan Pedro Garoby FB Pedro Mastroizzi Coaches: Tomás Coppola Agustín Benedicto Federico Sala

FB 15 Juan Pablo Zervino RW 14 Jacinto Campbell OC 21 Carlos Pirán IC 12 Santos Rubio LW 11 Justo Piccardo FH 10 Gastón Arias SH 9 Juan Soares Gache N8 8 Tomás Meyrelles (c) OF 7 Tomás Comissatti BF 6 Marcos Borghi RL 5 Lucas Sommer LL 4 Federico Haedo TP 3 Marcos Gatica HK 2 Andrea Panzarini LP 1 Marcos Piccinini Substitutions: P Joaquin Lamas P Lucas Rocha FW Alejo Daireaux FB Mateo Albanese Coaches: Santiago González Bonorino Lucas Cilley Federico Gallo

References