Argentina target Super Rugby entry

Editor

Argentina are moving rapidly closer towards entering a club side into Super Rugby as early as 2013, allege Sports Business.

In recent years, Los Pumas have drastically improved their global standing in the game, making their 2012 debut in the Rugby Championship after several years of lobbying.

Now, though, still awaiting their first victory in that tournmanent, they aim to break into the fabled southern hemisphere club competition, currently comprising five sides apiece from New Zealand, Australia and South Africa.

The national team’s communications manager, Guillermo Quevedo, confirmed discussions had taken place.

“There will be a meeting with the SANZAR nations in March,” Quevedo told the Reuters news agency.

Indeed, the Argentinian Rugby Union this week launched a new badge and team brand to lift the status of the Pumas. Ex-Argentina midfielder Fernando del Castillo was involved with the re-branding efforts, and says the new identity is a crucial part of the body’s plans.

“We pushed the idea that the Pumas should start to walk their own identity path in a similar way to that begun previously by world powers, particularly those in the southern hemisphere like the All Blacks, Springboks and Wallabies,” said del Castillo.