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December is often a month of reflection for many. This holds true for Argentine rugby now more so than ever. It is a time in which the domestic professional and amateur players are into the off-season. Only a small group remain active – Los Pumas 7’s.
The completion of the November Internationals officially marked the midway point in competition between Rugby World Cups 2015 and 2019. Clearly the players and coaching staff are not placed in an ideal position.
On and Off the Field
2017 was not a year in which Argentina sent fear into opposition fans let alone players. Los Pumas were badly outperformed, losing heavily on the scoresheet and in the majority of areas of play. Yet despite the woeful Pumas performances the public turned out in record numbers.
As difficult of a year as it has been the performances are minor in terms of the big picture. My campaign for Argentina to host a Rugby World Cup has not died. To the contrary the argument for it to become a reality has actually been boosted in 2017.
Never before have there been such numbers attending Pumas home test matches in a calendar year. Not only were the numbers record breaking but all home matches were played in different cities. Furthermore the spread of games was such that Los Pumas played in the far north, far west and the capital.
Ticket Prices
Something is going right as the demand for tickets for Los Pumas’ home matches was high. In the far north both Jujuy and Salta hosted matches. Jujuy had tickets priced in four categories – AR$100, AR$200, AR$300 and AR$400.
Salta’s pricing began at AR$200 and additional categories were also larger than those in Jujuy. They were sold for AR$350, AR$500 and AR$750.
Why the difference between Jujuy and Salta? The answer is a combination of it being the first ever test match in the city and that it was a June International against Georgia while Salta hosted a Rugby Championship fixture.
Against England there prices were different for both San Juan and Santa Fé. In the former they were priced at AR$200, AR$350, AR$500 and AR$750. In the latter there was a greater diversity of options. Children prices were AR$150 and AR$260 while adults were priced at AR$250, AR$400, AR$500 and AR$600.
To see New Zealand in Buenos Aires the prices were AR$300, AR$500 and AR$1000. These were the highest of the year and were followed by Argentina’s final match at home of the year, against Australia. Tickets for the Mendoza match were priced at AR$150, AR$250, AR$400 and AR$600.
Attendances
The year for Los Pumas started in San Juan. The June 10 test match took place at the Estadio Bicentenario, one of the venues used for the 2011 Copa América. 25,000 supporters were in attendance for the game. This marked a significant gain for the UAR and reason to consider using the venue again in June 2018.
Seven days later 29,750 were on hand to see the rematch in Santa Fé. This was a virtual full house and was a repeat of the June 2016 fixture against Italy. The venue’s ability to attract crowds for June Internationals suggests a Rugby Championship match in the city is all but certain at some point.
The historic appearance of Los Pumas in Jujuy saw 20,200 paying supporters. This marked a notable return for the union and reason to look at returning to Jujuy in the future. On the field Los Pumas scored 45 points, the most in any match this year. Worrying was that Georgia scored 29. England had scored 38 and 35 in their two matches.
For the Rugby Championship Argentina continued their policy of playing matches in different cities. South Africa returned to Salta. They did so in front of 17,435, the lowest attendance of the year. The 3,000 vacant seats raised the issue of pricing and venue choice. Overall, however, the UAR was pleased as it made a handsome profit from the match.
For the second year in-a-row Vélez Sarsfield operated on a reduced maximum capacity for the Rugby Championship. The Buenos Aires stadium had a 31,500 capacity and all tickets were sold out. A return to River Plate Stadium has been considered in the recent past and it would be fair to say it is not out of the question for 2018.
Argentina finished their Rugby Championship campaign in Mendoza. There were 32,000 tickets sold for the match against Australia. The public responded despite the team having notable problems in competing at the level required for the duration of their matches.
| FIXTURE | VENUE | ATTENDANCE |
| Argentina vs England | San Juan | 25,000 |
| Argentina vs England | Santa Fé | 29,750 |
| Argentina vs Georgia | Jujuy | 20,200 |
| Argentina vs South Africa | Salta | 17,435 |
| Argentina vs New Zealand | Buenos Aires | 31,500 |
| Argentina vs Australia | Mendoza | 32,000 |
