Unión Argentina de Rugby
Encyclopedia
The Argentine Rugby Union ( (UAR)) is the governing body for rugby union
in Argentina
. It is a member of the International Rugby Board
with a seat on that body's Executive Council.
The UAR organises the Argentina national rugby union team
, also known as Los Pumas.
field sited in Palermo
neighborhood. Only 24 players (all of them were English
) could met to dispute the match. The teams were named "Bancos" ("Banks" in Spanish) and "Ciudad" ("City") and formed with 11 and 13 players respectively.
That same year, another match was played in the polo
field of Flores, Buenos Aires
, in a land property of the Unzué family. The teams were called "Inglaterra" ("England") and "El Mundo" ("The World"). The first team was formed by Royal Navy
officers that were temporarily in Buenos Aires, with the addition of some English citizens who resided in Argentina. Its rival was formed by English, Scottish, Welsh and Irish people plus some Argentine-born players with English ancestors.
On May 14, 1874, the England Rugby Union
rules were adopted to play rugby in Argentina. Those rules were used for the first time during the match disputed at Buenos Aires Cricket Club between two teams from that institution. The teams were called "El bando del Sr. Trench", and "El Bando del Sr. Hogg".
It was 26 years later, in 1899, that four clubs in Argentina's capital Buenos Aires got together to form the River Plate Rugby Football Union.
The sport requested an affiliation with the Argentine Olympic Committee (COI), who advised them to add Argentina to their name and so they became the Union Argentina de Rugby (UAR) on 29 November 1951.
This body, one of the oldest rugby unions in the world, became a member of the International Rugby Board (IRB) after being invited to the inaugural Rugby World Cup in 1987
.
When the rest of the rugby union
world went professional in 1995, the UAR decided to keep the game in Argentina amateur. Argentine players who opt to go overseas to play professionally (historically in Italy
and France
, with an increasing number today playing in England
) remain eligible for national team selection (although this was not originally the case), and the current national team is heavily, though not exclusively, made up of European-based players.
officially joined SANZAR
, the body which operates Super Rugby and The Rugby Championship competitions in rugby union, in a meeting in Buenos Aires
on November 23, 2011
Rugby union
Rugby union, often simply referred to as rugby, is a full contact team sport which originated in England in the early 19th century. One of the two codes of rugby football, it is based on running with the ball in hand...
in Argentina
Argentina
Argentina , officially the Argentine Republic , is the second largest country in South America by land area, after Brazil. It is constituted as a federation of 23 provinces and an autonomous city, Buenos Aires...
. It is a member of the International Rugby Board
International Rugby Board
The International Rugby Board is the governing body for the sport of rugby union. It was founded in 1886 as the International Rugby Football Board by the unions of Scotland, Wales and Ireland. England refused to join until 1890. The International Rugby Football Board changed its name to the...
with a seat on that body's Executive Council.
The UAR organises the Argentina national rugby union team
Argentina national rugby union team
The Argentina national rugby team, nicknamed Los Pumas, represents Argentina in international rugby union matches. The team, which plays in sky blue and white jerseys, is organised by the Argentine Rugby Union .Argentina played its first international rugby match in 1910 against a touring British...
, also known as Los Pumas.
History
The first rugby match in Argentina was played in 1873, in the Buenos Aires Cricket ClubBuenos Aires Cricket & Rugby Club
Buenos Aires Cricket & Rugby Club, sometimes known simply as Buenos Aires or B.A.C.R.C., is an amateur multi-sports club from the San Fernando district of Greater Buenos Aires, Argentina...
field sited in Palermo
Palermo, Buenos Aires
Palermo is a neighborhood, or barrio of the Argentine capital, Buenos Aires. It is located in the northeast of the city, bordering the barrios of Belgrano to the north, Almagro and Recoleta to the south, Villa Crespo and Colegiales to the west and the Río de la Plata river to the east. With a total...
neighborhood. Only 24 players (all of them were English
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
) could met to dispute the match. The teams were named "Bancos" ("Banks" in Spanish) and "Ciudad" ("City") and formed with 11 and 13 players respectively.
That same year, another match was played in the polo
Polo
Polo is a team sport played on horseback in which the objective is to score goals against an opposing team. Sometimes called, "The Sport of Kings", it was highly popularized by the British. Players score by driving a small white plastic or wooden ball into the opposing team's goal using a...
field of Flores, Buenos Aires
Flores, Buenos Aires
Flores is a middle class barrio or district in the centre part of Buenos Aires city, Argentina. Flores was considered a rural area of the Province of Buenos Aires until 1888 when it was integrated to the City....
, in a land property of the Unzué family. The teams were called "Inglaterra" ("England") and "El Mundo" ("The World"). The first team was formed by Royal Navy
Royal Navy
The Royal Navy is the naval warfare service branch of the British Armed Forces. Founded in the 16th century, it is the oldest service branch and is known as the Senior Service...
officers that were temporarily in Buenos Aires, with the addition of some English citizens who resided in Argentina. Its rival was formed by English, Scottish, Welsh and Irish people plus some Argentine-born players with English ancestors.
On May 14, 1874, the England Rugby Union
Rugby Football Union
The Rugby Football Union was founded in 1871 as the governing body for the sport of rugby union, and performed as the international governing body prior to the formation of the International Rugby Board in 1886...
rules were adopted to play rugby in Argentina. Those rules were used for the first time during the match disputed at Buenos Aires Cricket Club between two teams from that institution. The teams were called "El bando del Sr. Trench", and "El Bando del Sr. Hogg".
It was 26 years later, in 1899, that four clubs in Argentina's capital Buenos Aires got together to form the River Plate Rugby Football Union.
The sport requested an affiliation with the Argentine Olympic Committee (COI), who advised them to add Argentina to their name and so they became the Union Argentina de Rugby (UAR) on 29 November 1951.
This body, one of the oldest rugby unions in the world, became a member of the International Rugby Board (IRB) after being invited to the inaugural Rugby World Cup in 1987
1987 Rugby World Cup
The 1987 Rugby World Cup was the first Rugby World Cup. New Zealand and Australia agreed to co-host the first ever tournament with New Zealand hosting seventeen pool stage matches, two quarter-finals and the final with Australia being the junior partner hosting seven pool matches, two...
.
When the rest of the rugby union
Rugby union
Rugby union, often simply referred to as rugby, is a full contact team sport which originated in England in the early 19th century. One of the two codes of rugby football, it is based on running with the ball in hand...
world went professional in 1995, the UAR decided to keep the game in Argentina amateur. Argentine players who opt to go overseas to play professionally (historically in Italy
Italy
Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
and France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
, with an increasing number today playing in England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
) remain eligible for national team selection (although this was not originally the case), and the current national team is heavily, though not exclusively, made up of European-based players.
Membershin in SANZAR
ArgentinaArgentina national rugby union team
The Argentina national rugby team, nicknamed Los Pumas, represents Argentina in international rugby union matches. The team, which plays in sky blue and white jerseys, is organised by the Argentine Rugby Union .Argentina played its first international rugby match in 1910 against a touring British...
officially joined SANZAR
SANZAR
SANZAR is the body which operates Super Rugby and Tri Nations competitions in rugby union. It is a joint venture of the South African Rugby Union, the New Zealand Rugby Union and the Australian Rugby Union, formed in 1996.Created shortly after rugby's move to professionalism in 1995, SANZAR's two...
, the body which operates Super Rugby and The Rugby Championship competitions in rugby union, in a meeting in Buenos Aires
Buenos Aires
Buenos Aires is the capital and largest city of Argentina, and the second-largest metropolitan area in South America, after São Paulo. It is located on the western shore of the estuary of the Río de la Plata, on the southeastern coast of the South American continent...
on November 23, 2011