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Super Rugby Americas is expanding in 2025. Argentina will have a third professional rugby team in the South American league. The new team will be Tarucas. The team will play home matches at Tucumán Lawn Tennis at Parque 9 de Julio in Tucumán and do so in in orange rugby uniforms.
Tarucas is a deer species native to the Andes Mountains. It is an emblem of Northeast Argentina. Taruca translate into deer in Quechua and Aymara.
The addition of Las Tarucas means Argentina will have three professional teams in Super Rugby Americas. Tucumán will be the northern most team. The new team joins Los Pampas based in Buenos Aires and the 2025 champions, Los Dogos based in Córdoba. Work on adding additional teams are already underway; Rosario is on track to join Super Rugby Americas in 2026.
The Unión Argentina de Rugby (UAR) confirmed the expansion. It comes a a joined venture between the UAR and Catalinas Fintech Hotel SRL. The financial agreement will see the new team representing Northwestern Argentina (NOA in Spanish) for the first time in Super Rugby Américas (SRA) 2025.
UAR President Gabriel Travaglini signed the agreement together with Fernando Renta of Catalinas Fintech Hotel SRL. Also present was Santiago Taboada, the president of the Unión de Rugby de Tucumán (URT).
Tucumán is a hot bed of Argentine rugby. The province has produced Pumas including Pablo Garretón, Martín Terán, Santiago Mesón, Omar Hasan, Julio Farías Cabello, José Núñez Piossek, Matías Orlando, Lucas Noguera Paz, Nicolás Sánchez and Mateo Carreras.
Authorities have been working on the Super Rugby Americas team for a substantial period. There has been a desire for Tucumán, including from four Pumas Coach Daniel Hourcade, to have more players in Los Pumas.
Tucumán has no shortage of experience playing against touring teams. New Zealand played against Tucumán a part of the All Blacks’ 1991 tour. Tucumán hosted the touring France the following year. In more recent times, Tucumán faced South American countries such as Paraguay and Brazil.
Nicolás Sánchez is the second Puma to 100 test caps. He ha played for his club, Lawn Tennis this year. There has been speculation that he could continue playing in 2025 so as to play in Super Rugby Americas.
Contemporary Pumas can also be identified from Tucumán. Loose head prop Thomas Gallo is from the Universitario club. Scrum-half Gonzalo García, pictured below, is from Club Natación y Gimnasia. Winger Mateo Carreras is from Los Tarcos. Center Matías Orlando is from Huirapuca and fly half Tomás Albornoz is from Tucumán Rugby Club.
