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With the creation of the PladAR system in Argentina the regular exodus of players abroad has become significantly reduced when compared to what it once was. Players continue to link up with European clubs of a variety of levels but the number of players staying in Argentina has been encouraging according to many observers as it has enabled coaching staff with greater player access than what coaches had previously.
For Italy UAR player control has almost brought to an end the capping of Argentine players of Italian descent. The loss of would-be Italian internationals has contributed to Italy having limited depth in a number of positions which has seen the test team regress as shown in 2014 away losses against Fiji, Samoa and Japan and heavy Six Nations defeats against England, France, Ireland and Wales in 2015.
The creation of the PladAR facilities and contracts for the leading domestic based players has directly impacted on a decreased proportion of uncapped Argentine players moving to Italy. Being exposed to better facilities than previously the players based in Argentina have fewer reasons to leave and many are involved with Los Jaguares, Argentina’s official A side which caps players for non-internationals making them unable to subsequently play for Italy or anybody else.
The ethnography of Argentina is such that up to 60%, or 24 million, of the country’s population are of Italian descent. For this reason there has been a high source of Argentine players eligible to represent Italy based on World Rugby Regulation 8.1 which states that players with a parent or grandparent from a country other than his or her own can play international rugby for that country.
It is, of course, common place to have Pumas players with Italian rather than Spanish surnames in the team. Back-rowers including Leonardí, Longo, Matera and Senatore are but a few examples. Of those from Argentina to have been capped by Italy some have qualified on residency grounds after playing in Italy for three years, but for many World Rugby Regulation 8.1 has come into effect.
Italy’s 50-man training squad for the World Cup featured five players from Argentina – Matías Aguero, Martín Castrogiovanni, Leandro Cedaro, Gonzalo Garcia and captain Sergio Parisse who moved to Italy with his family in his early teenage years. In most instances over the years, however, Argentine nationals have been capped by Italy after having been approached to do so following moves from Argentina to play abroad either in Italy or another European country.
Aside from Cedaro all others were capped by prior to the establishment of the PladAR system. The La Rochelle second-rower was approached by both Italy and Argentina at the same time and played his only test to date in South Africa in June 2013. Others to have played for Italy since Rugby World Cup 2011 include the now former Italian internationals Gonzalo Canale, Alberto di Bernardo and Luciano Orquera.
In some cases Argentine players that were capped by Italy fell through the cracks due to Argentina lacking any form of professionalism and, aside from international friendlies, not having any regular competition outside of the Rugby World Cup. The Rugby Championship enabled this to end with Cedaro being the only player lost to Argentina in recent years.
Such a small number represents a revolution for Argentina and a significant loss of resources for Italian rugby. The drop off from 2011 is nothing short of extraordinary as the Nick Mallet coached side which faced Ireland in Dunedin with a Quarter Final spot on the line had an all-Argentina combination from fly half to outside centre in the form of Orquera, Garcia and Canale. Castrogiovanni and Parisse also both started meaning 33% of the starting Italian side were Argentine players.
Italy’s rise to become accepted to the former Five Nations was also related to Argentine involvement with Diego Domínguez scoring 983 points for Italy in 74 tests from 1991-2003. He did so after having previously been capped by Argentina but being entitled to change nation under the eligibility laws of the time.
The transition of the UAR from amateurism to having regional academies has prevented the loss of future players to Italy. Indeed shortly before the transition Gonzalo Garcia was named in Argentina’s ‘A’ squad but was also of interest to Nick Mallet. The result was the Calvisano based Garcia was capped by Italy despite having playedfor Argentina at under 19 and under 21 levels.
More recent examples are less frequent but do continue to exist. Italy attempted to obtain Juan Pablo Socino who is another that qualifies via Regulation 8.1. Socino, though, turned down the offer to instead concentrate on playing for his home country and his decision and patience has now been rewarded with Daniel Hourcade naming him in the squad to face the French Barbarians this month in Rosario and La Plata.
With those from Argentina capped by Italy now all either being in their 30s or approaching the possibility now exists for Italy to no longer have Argentine players. 2015 could be the final World Cup in which Italy has Argentine players. That is, unless, the world class Parisse can break world records and remain in the team in 2019.
