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Plans are underway for the Argentina XV to play in the Currie Cup. The official national ‘A’ side is in need of increased opportunities and efforts are advanced for the team to play in the South African domestic league beginning in 2019.
The move is also motivated significantly by a serious problem requiring urgent attention – Super Rugby. Argentina has Los Jaguares as their one and only side in the competition. Plans had been for a second side to join in 2019 though now 2020 has emerged as the realistic time.
Argentina’s potential second side would consist of some players in the Jaguares system already. It would, however, require a massive injection of players presently not involved. Here is where the Argentina XV comes into the picture.
It is hoped that the former PladAR success project that was the Pampas XV can be replicated in the Currie Cup. The idea is for Argentina’s best rugby players outside of Los Jaguares to continue to be the Argentina XV, a strategy to also keep more players from departing for Europe.
What would be different to that of 2016-2017 is that the team would officially be semi-professional and have a complete calendar enabling the structure to support the proposed project. This would likely limit, and potentially, end the club game time which many from the Argentina XV have been experiencing at home.
Former Pumas captain and current World Rugby Vice Chairman told Santiago Angel of the plans as related to the Currie Cup.
“Possibly it will come about in 2019. We are trying to make it happen in 2018 but it is not easy. The Argentina XV (Pampas) would play in the Currie Cup, but our desire is that there will also be a combined Brazil and Uruguay team in the Rugby Challenge”.
The Rugby Challenge replaced the former Vodacom Cup season runs from April to July. It has fourteen provincial sides and Namibia’s Welwitschias. The teams were divided into the northern, central and southern regions for the 2017 competition. Western Province, Manuel Carizza’s former side, were champions.
Without question the proposal would be a huge gain for Argentine rugby. It would be a genuine bridge from the domestic system to Super Rugby. The lack of any such stepping-stone has seen many criticizing the UAR’s set-up.
Pichot confirmed that this very issue is being addressed. He told Angel that the Argentina XV players are to be:
“Semiprofessionals. They are to be involved in an intermediate level that falls between that of Los Jaguares and club level.”
