National Team
The national team are nicknamed los Pumas, and wear blue and white jerseys - they are considered a top tier nation by the IRB, though they are currently the only tier one team that does not compete in annual competition with other tier one nations (see Tri Nations (rugby union) and Six Nations Championship). However, as noted above, this may possibly change around 2012, with Argentina fully integrated into the Tri Nations structure.
Argentina played their first international on June 12, 1910, against a touring British Isles, losing 28 points to three. Argentina also competed at the first ever Rugby World Cup held in Australia and New Zealand in 1987. Grouped with the All Blacks, Fiji and Italy, Argentina won their game against the Italians, but finished at the bottom of their pool on points difference. Subsequent World Cups saw similar results, in the 1999 tournament however, Argentina finished second in their pool and made it to the quarter finals. Argentinian Gonzalo Quesada was also the top scorer of the tournament. The 2003 Rugby World Cup saw them finish third in pool A. The Nations Cup is a tournament involving Argentina A, and was first held in 2006.
In recent years Argentina have proven themselves capable of scaring and more than occasionally defeating traditional rugby giants. For example, since November 2004, Argentina have picked up wins over all the participants in Europe's Six Nations Championship, and also have a narrow loss to the All Blacks, who had to survive a last-second assault on their try line, in the same time frame. Argentina also drew with the British & Irish Lions in 2005 in Cardiff, notable as a 'moral victory' for the Pumas, who were missing over two dozen players and had to resort to dragging players out of retirement to play. Heading into the 2007 Rugby World Cup, Argentina's most recent Six Nations scalps were a pair of wins over an experimental Ireland side and one over Italy in 2007. In the World Cup itself, Argentina beat the host nation, France, in the opening game and Ireland in a later pool match. The Pumas went on to defeat Scotland in the quarterfinals before losing to eventual champions South Africa in the semifinals. They met France again in the bronze final and won again, this time by a convincing 34-10 margin. Out of the last 10 matches between Argentina and France—four at Vélez Sársfield and six in France—Argentina have seven wins, with their three losses by a combined total of 13 points. Today (December 2012) Argentina is ranked eighth in the IRB World Rankings.
Read more about this topic: Rugby Union In Argentina
Famous quotes containing the words national and/or team:
“Disney World has acquired by now something of the air of a national shrine. American parents who don’t take their children there sense obscurely that they have failed in some fundamental way, like Muslims who never made it to Mecca.”
—Simon Hoggart (b. 1946)
“Romeo. I dreamt a dream tonight.
Mercutio. And so did I.
Romeo. Well, what was yours?
Mercutio. That dreamers often lie.
Romeo. In bed asleep, while they do dream things true.
Mercutio. O then I see Queen Mab hath been with you.
She is the fairies’ midwife, and she comes
In shape no bigger than an agate stone
On the forefinger of an alderman,
Drawn with a team of little atomi
Over men’s noses as they lie asleep.”
—William Shakespeare (1564–1616)