Argentina Rugby Booms Ahead of England Test
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- Felipe Contepomi told BBC Sport that amateur rugby in Argentina is 'booming' with clubs growing yearly, though he stressed that 'football is a religion' while rugby now reaches every social class and province beyond its Buenos Aires heartland.
- The Pumas have reached three Rugby World Cup semi-finals across the past five tournaments (2007, 2015, 2023), with Contepomi playing in the 2007 run that included wins over France, Ireland, and Scotland.
- Super Rugby Americas has served as a development pipeline since 2019, with Contepomi saying around 20 players have progressed from those franchises to the Pumas in the last two years, including Leicester Tigers back-row Joaquin Moro.
- Argentina host England on Saturday, July 18 (20:10 BST) at Estadio Unico Madre de Ciudades in Santiago del Estero, ranked seventh in the world, after beating Wales but losing to Scotland in their opening Nations Championship fixtures.
- Contepomi publicly apologized to Tom Curry over November's tunnel incident, calling the England flanker 'world-class' and 'a great lad' while describing the fixture as one of the Pumas' 'big rivalries.'
- Argentina is pressing a bid to host the 2035 Rugby World Cup, which the article frames as a potential accelerant for rugby's popularity alongside continued wins over tier-one nations.
- England have won their last five meetings with Argentina, including a series victory in Argentina last summer, while the Pumas have won just once in their past 16 encounters with England.
Why it matters: Argentina's 2035 Rugby World Cup bid, combined with around 20 players progressing from Super Rugby Americas to the Pumas in the last two years, reflects growing depth — but a seventh-place world ranking and one win in 16 against England underline how far the top-four target still sits.
