Argentine Super Rugby team

Argentine Super Rugby team
Union UAR
Founded 2015
Location Buenos Aires, Argentina
League(s) Super Rugby
Union website
www.uar.com.ar

The Argentine Super Rugby team is a professional rugby union team based in Buenos Aires, Argentina. They will make their debut in SANZAR's Super Rugby tournament in 2016 Super Rugby season.

As of April 2015, the team does not have a name, colours, jersey design or home stadium.

History

Following on from impressive performances by Argentina in international rugby union competitions, such as a third-placed finish in the 2007 Rugby World Cup, the governing body of rugby in Argentina, the UAR, campaigned for inclusion in SANZAR's Tri Nations competition. In 2011, it was announced that the competition would be expanded to include Argentina, which resulted in the competition being rebranded as The Rugby Championship[1] and Argentina competed in the competition for the first time in 2012.

However, there was no professional league in Argentina. The UAR launched a team called the Pampas XV that participated in the South African Vodacom Cup competition from 2010 to 2013, winning the competition in 2011 Vodacom Cup with an 11-match unbeaten run.[2] They withdrew from the competition at the end of 2013 due to financial considerations,[3] but was relaunched to participate in the Pacific Rugby Cup from 2014 onwards.[4] They won the competition in 2014[5] and 2015 (as the rebranded World Rugby Pacific Challenge).[6]

Despite the performances of the Pampas XV, the UAR still campaigned to have teams included in the Super Rugby competition.[7][8] Since SANZAR sold the existing Super Rugby package to its broadcasters for the period 2011–15, it meant that no changes to the format would be permitted until the 2016 season.[9]

In 2013, SANZAR CEO Greg Peters announced that Super Rugby would be expanded in the 2016 season, adding that South African franchise the Kings would be one of the expansion teams.[10] In early 2014, SANZAR confirmed that Super Rugby would be increased from 15 to 18 teams starting from the 2016 season, with Argentina each getting one of the additional spots. It was confirmed that the team would be based in Buenos Aires and that they would participate in the South African Conference.[11] Japan was granted the license for the 18th franchise in October 2014[12] and the new expanded format and three new teams were formally approved by the SANZAR Executive Committee in November 2014.[13]

Current squad

For player movements before and during the 2016 season, see List of 2015–16 Super Rugby transfers#Argentina.

The UAR have announced several players that have been contracted to represent the team during the 2016 Super Rugby season:[14]

Props

Hookers

Locks

  

Loose forwards

Scrum-halves

Fly-halves

  

Centres

Wingers

Fullbacks

See also

References

  1. ↑ ""The Rugby Championship" to replace Tri Nations". rugby.com.au. Retrieved 8 November 2011.
  2. ↑ "Pampas XV win Vodacom Cup!". SuperSport. 13 May 2011. Retrieved 17 April 2015.
  3. ↑ "Pampas out of Vodacom Cup". Sport24. 19 November 2013. Retrieved 19 November 2013.
  4. ↑ "Plantel de Seniors para la temporada 2014" (Press release) (in Spanish). Unión Argentina de Rugby. 27 December 2013. Retrieved 27 December 2013.
  5. ↑ "Argentina Pampas win Pacific Rugby Cup". Asia Rugby Football Union. 24 March 2014. Retrieved 17 April 2015.
  6. ↑ "Argentina Pampas defend Pacific Challenge title". World Rugby. 23 March 2015. Retrieved 17 April 2015.
  7. ↑ "Super Rugby may accept Argentinian teams in 2016". Guardian. 8 August 2013. Retrieved 17 April 2015.
  8. ↑ "Pichot: Argentina in Super Rugby is a no brainer". SuperXV. 23 August 2013. Retrieved 17 April 2015.
  9. ↑ "Super Rugby going global". Sydney Daily Telegraph. 11 February 2012. Retrieved 17 April 2015.
  10. ↑ "SANZAR boss Greg Peters confirms South Africa will get a sixth Super Rugby franchise from 2016". Herald Sun. 4 September 2013. Retrieved 26 August 2013.
  11. ↑ "Search begins for 18th Super Rugby team" (Press release). SANZAR. 2 May 2014. Retrieved 17 April 2015.
  12. ↑ "Super Rugby: Japan chosen to host new franchise from 2016". BBC. 24 October 2014. Retrieved 17 April 2015.
  13. ↑ "Japan and Argentina officially join Super Rugby" (Press release). SANZAR. 20 November 2014. Retrieved 17 April 2015.
  14. ↑ "Tuculet se suma al futuro del rugby argentino" (Press release). Unión Argentina de Rugby. 15 April 2015. Retrieved 17 April 2015.

External links