KEY POINTS:
A move to include Argentina in the Tri-Nations is gathering support and could happen as early as next year, according to South African news reports.
South Africa's Sunday Times reported the International Rugby Board has applied pressure on SANZAR to get the South Americans involved in the Southern Hemisphere's show-piece tournament.
>> Read the story
This forum debate is now closed. Here is a selection of your views:
Steve M
100 per cent agree. In fact we should go 1 further and admit a P.I. team, and scrap the play Oz & SA 3x, its overkill. I live in the UK and I do believe the ABs playing a southern hemisphere 5 nations tournament can only enhance our ability to play different styles/adapt to different tactics, not too mention backing up week on week to produce the required levels of performance (as needed at World Cups). Sure its going to be tricky with most of the Puma's playing in Europe, but arent we trying to align the seasons north and south anyway for the good of the game/players? If the RFU guys can only come up with excuses why it wont work, lets get in people who can look to the future and get results. After all those muppets that lost us WC 2003 co-hosting paid with their jobs, and low and behold, we ARE hosting WC 2011 when many said it wasnt possible!
Gideon
Good idea, as long as their professionals are available. If their best 30 players cannot play due to professional commitments in Europe, Los Pumas will struggle against NZ, SA and Australia. The IRB and leading rugby nations should help Argentina to elevate their domestic rugby to a professional level. For the time being, Argentina should be allowed to compete in the Six (seven) Nations. A Super 20 with professional teams from Argentina, the USA, Canada and Japan would be the ideal long-term solution.
Philip Ikenasio
I dont think Argentina should be included in the tri nations just for the sheer fact that there is history behind these three nations and it is this history that is keeping this competition alive. Why not involve them in the pacific 5 nations? This would then assist the island nations in developing their game further, and up the status of this new competition. Maybe then after this competition is up and running, the competition can then have the winner being promoted to the tri-nations and the loser being demoted to the 6 nations. This way we create a competitive environment where not only Argentina benefit from this. But all southern hemisphere nations and hey maybe thew competition will get so strong that we would be calling northern hemisphere teams.
Smith
Absolutely and drop 1 or preferably 2 of the repeat tri nation games.
Josh Sharkey
Six nations, Tri Nations, Pacific 5 Nations are all annual tournaments, but the 6th ranked team in the world does not have a home. That is just not right. Want to expand the game in South America? What better way than including Los Pumas?
Bobby
It is a brilliant idea to add a forth team to this solid but tiring competition. It will add another dimension the comp and evolve the game even further, which can then truly be called the southern hemisphere style of rugby. It will also help grow the sport in the South American region.
Andrew Adam
NZFU need to support SA in the bid to get the Pumas in. They will improve greatly when they compete in the Tri Nations. Just look at how good they are at football. They could be the sleeping giants of rugby as well. The Tri nations needs them and the 60 million audience that will support them. It would be a disaster for the Tri Nations if they joined the six nations competition who would benefit by having a team that can beat France on a regular basis.
Charles Skeen
Well, it will be difficult for them to compete in the beginning because of their obvious lack of everything in comparison to the other participants. The question is however: where must they then go if they cannot be part of the Tri-Nations? They will be the odd-one-out if they succeed to join the Six-Nations, and maybe the odd-one-out with the Tri-Nations. They are however part of the Southern Hemisphere Rugby fraternity and should be given the chance to develop. I am for it to give them a chance. It will be a welcome breather in the Tri-Nations for most to watch some other input into the now mostly forseeable outcome of the Tri-Nations competition. They might just develop to upset the high-and-mighty traditional winners.
Antz
It will be a joke if Argentina join. They have a few decent players and nothing more. In terms of world rugbys status, it will be great but their actual rugby will struggle on the field. The Tri-nations have three hard teams that dont like to lose to each other and by adding another team only drags the Tri-Nations series on as well as makes players more fatigued as they already are. All Blacks roughly play 14 test matches a calender year and McCaw plays all if not more and Tana Umaga retired because he couldnt handle the strain of world rugby so it shows how intense and hard it is even for the all conquering All Blacks.
Poropeke Spraggon
Great Idea! This will definitely liven up and revive the dead-horse of a Tri-nations we have at the moment. The opportunity should be given based on this teams continual David vs Goliath performances it regularly displays year after year. Argentina manages to topple meaning of the top tier nations despite having many players unavailable due to European club commitments. It is a proud rugby nation still struggling for recognition in its home country and lacking the funds to improve its domestic game. Our competition could help to repair its rugby traditions and also re-introduce a former powerhouse to the world stage, which can only be good for world rugby. The 3 game Tri-nations is a farce and is boring. By introducing a new team and reducing the current repetitiveness of the current format, I can see only benefits.
Chris Saunders
Of course they should be included, a no brainer! They have beaten all of the 6 nations, they have given the 3 nations teams a scare and contrary to certain peoples ignorance rugby is big in Argy (been there seen it.). I am shocked by some of the insular views of my fellow Kiwis who want to deny rugby the chance to go global. Lets get rid of the Anglophone stranglehold that dulls our sport. Well done Italy on their first away win in the six nations, more proof that regular competion helps minnows become sharks!
Alastair Kay
n my view the suggestion to include Argentina in the Tri-Nations is well overdue, and should be supported by all three Tri-Nations unions. I think it is almost shameful how Argentina, as a southern hemisphere rugby nation, has been left out in the cold. To include them in the Tri-Nations, is a far better idea than the hare-brained IRB proposal touted last year. To go further, why not extend it to five teams, by including the Pacific Islands team which played matches a couple of years ago? A five nations format, based on each team playing each other team at home and away, has far more appeal than the northern hemisphere's Six Nations.
Julio
Australia the weakest link in Tri-nations? Who thumped Sth Africa 50-0 last year and didnt finish last on the points table? As for the comment that Australia should concentrate on netball and soccer – you are scared that if Australia actually gave a stuff about rugby, we would have won every world cup and Tri-nations in history.
James
Yes, Argentina should definitely be in the Tri Nations. There is no possible argument against it. Sure you will get some miserable shortsighted individual who mentions something about the tyranny of travelling great distances. My suggestion for that individual is to move into the old peoples home now.
Fili Tupua, Sydney
I believe that it is a pretty straightforward proposition to include Argentina in the Southern Hemisphere Tri-Nations concept. Just as it was a foregone conclusion to accept a Combined Pacific Islands team that was ignored in the past. Then again, that would be a non-issue as far as the IRB is concerned although their generous funding of the Oceania-like competition has sort of masked what really should have occurred in terms of taking the game of rugby globally. However, if the Pumas are on the verge of gatecrashing the Tri-Nations then I would argue that at least one more of the strongest of remaining hopefuls [obviously being one of the South Pacific teams, that being Samoa, Fiji or Tonga, then again, there would also be strong claims from NZ Maori and Japan even I kid you not] which in turn would make an exciting and competitive new-age "Southern Five-Nations" tournament.Might I add that any of these fifth candidates could beat Italy on their day, given their inclusion in the "Northern Six-Nations". It is about time common sense prevailed.
Andy O
Definitely a Big No, One reason is the Tri Nations is called the Tri Nations because three Nations compete in it not four or five. Also because the proximity of the nations and the long competitive relationship between these three Rugby powers makes it the success it is today. I also think that adding a nation like Argentina would make it hard on the players for travel and would also mean the season would have to be extended .Well I do not think that would be good on the players either.
Carlos
Yes. Argentina has showed many times that can play at similar level(or better, ask England if not) than any other rugby national team. It is not NZ or Au yet, but in just a few years of competence The Pumas will improve enough to worry anybody. Cheers.
Roger
Yes and why not Pacifics too?
Ana
In all honesty, I do not think that the Tri-Nations should start to include other southern hemisphere countries, the Tri-Nations is a competition between South Africa, New Zealand and Australia!! And should stay that way, it is no reflection on the talent within the Argentina Team, the Tri Nations are special to the 3 nations that play, it is like having a mini world cup if more nations are added to the Tri-Nations. Then you have to ask the question what is the point of the world cup?, I truly believe the Tri-Nations should stay the way it is.
D
Would love to see the Pumas in our Tri-Nations, it can only help their rugby. Plus their forward pack is already good enough to keep all current Tri-Nations teams honest.
Sean
Argentina have proven to be a world class team, and only rely on a few tests a year to prove their worth as a top level team. They will bring a new flavour to the competition and no doubt will be able to give Australia and South Africa a good run for their money. It would be very fair to bring them into the comp so that they too can grow further with experience and learn from the intensity of this great competition.
Graham Foster
Absolutely agree Argentina be part of Tri Nations rugby. For the benefit of rugby as a global sport, for an injection of difference in the tournament, and to support developing rugby nations this needs to happen.
Rock
Yes. But to include them in the tri nations wouldnt that mean we have to exclude the weakest link (Australia)? Maybe then the Aussies can concentrate on the netball or the soccer.
Bevan Wait
Absolutely fantastic idea! I have spent a lot of time in Argentina and have always strongly felt that they should be included in the tri-nations. The world has a real shortage of quality test nations and the last 10 years of professional development in rugby have done their best to dissolve Argentinean rugby. Despite this neglect Argentinean rugby still shines as a testament to their countries strength.
Daniel Masera
Of course!! Argentina have demonstrated over the years their value. There are ahead of England, Scotland and Wales in the world rankings. Is about time to include the Pumas in a meaningful competition.
Simon
Absolutely, get them in. The choice to increase the number of games, rather than the number of teams was rubbish. Give the best of the Pacific Islands a chance too and make a southern five nations championship.
Ben Taylor
I think this would be a great idea as they have shown they can match it with the best in the world consistently. There are a few problems though - European based players, dodgy stadiums and a competition name change. Lets face it, the Four Nations sounds like a poor man's Six Nations! They would also have to change it back to two games against each team.
Mike Nelson
If Argentina join the Tri Nations will it have to be named the Quatro Nations?
Chris
Good idea in theory . I will make the completion a tiny bit more interesting for the first couple of years but we will get very sick of the Argies always fielding weakened teams because their top players who ply their trade in Europe wont be available because their clubs wont let them I think it would then become a joke.
Maybe a combine Pacific Island team would be a better option than Argentina, a country which doesnt really care about rugby.
Darron Gedge
I am all for Argentina being included in the tri nations. It would be good for world rugby for Argentina to have regular competition against top rugby nations. As it is the Rugby world cup is too predictable as it is always the same five nations who only ever have a show of winning. The tri nations needs a change to make it more interesting.
Andrew Newman
Argentina should have been included years ago! Would be sensible to accommodate them by dropping the one of the 3 games scheduled for SA and Australia - which are getting tedious.
Lee
No, they definitely shouldnt be included as they are nowhere in the class of the other sides in the tri nations and also Argentina play pretty boring rugby! I would leave the tri nations as it is for now.
Marc
Yes, why not? They proved to be worthy opponents and are very hospitable with touring clubs.
Ipipiri
About time long over due, some of our pacific teams should also be included in the future.
Stephen Biddiscombe
Agree totally with South Africas Jake White. If rugby is to develop as a truly global sport then the Pumas should be invited to join either the tri nation or even the European 6 nations competition. Argentina have been a very competitive outfit for a number of years and deserve to be included in a formal rugby playing structure. Such a move would help to promote the game to a wider audience, not only in Argentina, but throughout South America.
