World Cup surprise package Argentina have been told their future lies in the Tri-Nations rather than the Six Nations by the International Rugby Board (IRB).

The Tri-Nations is run by South Africa, New Zealand and Australia (Sanzar), who will negotiate a new TV deal in 2010.

And it will be several years at least before Argentina are admitted.

“In the short term there are major hurdles to the integration of Argentina into the southern playing structure,” said the IRB.

The Pumas had a superb World Cup, becoming the first team from outside the Six Nations and Tri-Nations to reach the semi-finals.

Their performance let to demands from fans around the world that the South Americans, who do not have regular high-level competition, be included in either the Six Nations or the Tri-Nations as soon as possible.

As a consolation for missing out on quick entry to either of the events the Pumas have been awarded more Test matches each year.

They will be given nine matches a year, up from six, while it is expected they will also be entered into the Churchill Cup.

Among their new internationals will be two during the Six Nations window following the agreement of English and French clubs to release their Pumas for the matches.

One of the main stumbling blocks ahead of Argentina entering the Tri-Nations is the IRB’s requirement for them to have most of their players based in the country.

At the moment Argentina’s domestic game is amateur and as a result all of their top players earn their living abroad, almost exclusively in Europe.

“The Argentinian Rugby Union (UAR) has made a commitment to have their players contracted to the union and for the majority of their players to be based in Argentina by 2012,” said the IRB.
 

Argentina will step up their bid to join the Six Nations by presenting their case for inclusion to the International Rugby Board.

 
A place in the Tri-Nations is another option but almost the entire national squad play their rugby in Europe.

The Union Argentina de Rugby are to present their findings to an IRB forum at the end of November.

Minister for sport Hugo Porta said: “The current players consider it more viable to play in the Six Nations.”

The Union Argentina de Rugby, with help from the IRB, have been conducting a strategic review and will present their findings at the end of November.

Porta, a former Pumas fly-half, will make the presentation when the IRB gathers in London for a forum to discuss ways of implementing an integrated global season.

“We will present our strategic plan to the IRB, which we have been working on at the UAR for a long time with the purpose of getting Argentina included in future international competitions,” Porta added.

The IRB are determined to find a home for Argentina, who beat France twice, Ireland and Scotland en route to their best ever World Cup finish of third.

But any official application would have to go through either the Six Nations committee or SANZAR, the Tri-Nations governing body.

There are commercial and logistical complications that would have to be considered, such as existing television and commercial deals.

If the IRB can find a solution to the integrated season it would make Argentina’s move to the Tri-Nations more feasible on a logistic front, given they would not miss any European club rugby.

But Argentina appear set on joining an expanded Seven Nations, possibly basing themselves in Spain or Belgium.

“In my view, it’s better for Argentina to be in the Six Nations,” said Marcelo Loffreda, who is now in charge at Leicester after eight successful years as Pumas coach.

“All the overseas players are playing in the northern hemisphere so it’s impossible to make a competitive team in the Tri-Nations.”

Pumas centre Felipe Contepomi feels the long-term future lies in the Tri-Nations, otherwise they risk being too reliant on European clubs to keep signing up Argentinean talent.

He believes a move to the Tri-Nations would force the amateur UAR to build a professional structure and a professional domestic tournament.

But Loffreda explained: “It’s not going to be possible for Argentina to have a professional league. We don’t have the sponsors or the money.

“The only way Argentina can stay this competitive is to get the best players having professional preparation and they have to go overseas for that.”

On top of that, Argentina are proud of their status as an amateur union and while the UAR is set to be restructured, there are no plans to turn professional.

“It’s important to continue amateur club rugby because it carried Los Pumas to their success,” said UAR secretary Raul Sanz.

Argentina powered to a convincing victory over France to claim third place in the Rugby World Cup on Friday.

The Pumas, the revelation of the tournament, ran in five tries to snuff out French hopes of revenge for their opening-match defeat last month.

Argentina scored through Felipe Contepomi and Omar Hasan in a fractious first half for 17-3 at the break.

Further scores from Federico Aramburu, Ignacio Corleto and Contepomi heaped further embarrassment on France.

Full-back Clement Poitrenaud scored a late consolation for Bernard Laporte’s side but Argentina made it six wins out of seven against the French following their 17-12 victory in the pool stages.

“If we’d scored earlier we could have done things differently. But hats off to Argentina, they’ve had a superb World Cup,” said France manager Jo Maso.

The third-place play-off is often dubbed “the match that no-one wants” but both sides came out brimming with passion.

France were bright and vibrant and willing to play far more rugby than the territory-dominated kick-fests of their last two matches.

Les Bleus, with nine changes from the semi-final against England, enjoyed several promising early attacks before centre David Marty touched down, only to be called back after Aurelien Rougerie’s quick line-out was deemed illegal.

Argentina, who had made five changes from their defeat by South Africa, were intent on spoiling France’s farewell party and took on the hosts, toe-to-toe at times, as sporadic fighting marked the first quarter.

Jean-Baptiste Elissalde and Felipe Contepomi traded kicks before the fired-up French crossed again, though this time flanker Yannick Nyanga was called back for a forward pass.

But Argentina turned up the gas on an already heated encounter when they demonstrated the effectiveness of their free-flowing rugby with two tries in four minutes.

Felipe Contepomi sliced over first after good timing down the Pumas backs, before Hasan burrowed over following a piece of good fortune when the ball bounced back off the posts from Juan Martin Hernandez’s drop-goal attempt.

Contepomi’s conversion made it 17-3 to Argentina and the Pumas did well to resist a heavy late barrage at their line.

France went close to narrowing the gap but Yannick Nyanga dropped the ball diving for the line.

But both sides went in with 14 men after France skipper Raphael Ibanez and Argentine lock Rimas Alvarez were sin-binned in a bad-tempered end to the half.

Ten minutes after the break, France found themselves further behind when Corleto broke the line and linked with Manuel Contepomi, who quickly fed the ball through the hands of Patricio Albacete, Hernandez and Alvarez before Aramburu scampered over in the right corner.

France glimpsed a moment of salvation when Argentine replacement Juan Manuel Leguizamon was sin-binned for a shoulder charge on French substitute Sebastien Chabal.

But all hope was extinguished when Horacio Agulla attacked from his own 22 and fed Corleto, who hared home from 60 yards out into the left corner.

France scored a consolation through Poitrenaud on 68 minutes and looked to be finishing strongly but Argentina refused to wilt and worked in Felipe Contepomi for a fifth try with four minutes left.

Argentina’s second victory in five weeks over the Six Nations champions made their case even stronger for inclusion into one of the world’s major rugby tournaments.

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France: Poitrenaud, Rougerie, Marty, Skrela, Dominici, Michalak, Elissalde; Poux, Ibanez, De Villiers, Nallet, Thion, Nyanga, Dusautoir, Harinordoquy.
Replacements: Bruno, Mas, Chabal, Martin, Mignoni, Beauxis, Clerc.

Argentina: Corleto; Aramburu, M Contepomi, F Contepomi, Agulla; JM Hernandez, Pichot; Roncero, Vernet Basualdo, Hasan, Alvarez Kairelis, Albacete, Durand, JM Fernandez Lobbe, Longo Elia.
Replacements: Ayerza, Guinazu, Lozada, Leguizamon, Fernandez Miranda, Todeschini, Senillosa

Argentina coach Marcelo Loffreda makes four changes to the pack that started the semi-final against South Africa for the third-place play-off versus France. Alberto Vernet Basualdo, Martin Durand, Omar Hasan and Rimas Alvarez Kairelis come in for his last game in charge.

Mario Ledesma, Martin Scelzo, Ignacio Fernandez Lobbe and Lucas Ostiglia are the players to miss out.

In the backs, Federico Martin Aramburu and Gonzalo Tiesi replace Lucas Borges and Manuel Contepomi.

Loffreda will leave his post as Pumas coach after the World Cup to become head coach of Leicester.

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Argentina team: I Corleto; FM Aramburu, G Tiesi, F Contepomi, H Agulla; JM Hernandez, A Pichot; R Roncero, A Vernet Basualdo, O Hasan, R Alvarez Kairelis, P Albacete, M Durand, JM Fernandez Lobbe, G Longo Elia. Replacements: M Ayerza, E Guinazu, E Lozada, JM Leguizamon, N Fernandez Miranda, F Todeschini, H Senillosa.

South Africa v Argentina Rugby World Cup semi final, Sunday 14th October 2007