History

Argentine rugby has a long and proud history. The first rugby union match in Argentina was played in 1873, the game having been brought to South America by the British. In 1886, it is recorded that Buenos Aires Football Club played Rosario Athletic Club in Buenos Aires.
Early rugby was not immune to political problems either. An 1890 game in Buenos Aires resulted in both teams, and all 2,500 spectators being arrested. National president Juárez Celman was particularly paranoid after the Revolution of the Park in the city earlier in the year, and the police had suspected that the match was in fact a political meeting.
In 1899, three clubs from Buenos Aires - Buenos Aires F.C., Belgrano, Lomas - and one from Rosario - Rosario Athletic Club - got together to form the River Plate Rugby Football Union. This body, one of the oldest rugby unions in the world, later became known as the Unión Argentina de Rugby (UAR), which became a member of the International Rugby Board (IRB) only after being invited to the inaugural Rugby World Cup in 1987. Although rugby went professional in the mid 1990s, the domestic competition in Argentina has largely remained amateur. That has ensured large numbers of Argentinians playing overseas, particularly in European competitions, though these players are still eligible for the national team, and make up a large amount of the side.

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