Argentina: Soccer takes back seat to resurgent rugby squad

Argentina’s most popular club soccer game has been moved to a different time in order to avoid clashing with the country’s do-or-die rugby match on Sunday. The start time of the superclasico between bitter rivals Boca Juniors and River Plate was moved up by two hours so that fans could watch los Pumas play their Rugby World Cup (RWC) quarterfinal against Scotland.

The Argentine rugby team has been the revelation at the RWC ever since their opening match upset of tournament hosts France. Despite being in the “group of death”, the Argies have gone undefeated so far and have outscored opponents 143-33.

It is this phenomenal playing by los Pumas that has captured the attention of Argentina despite rugby status as a secondary sport in a soccer-mad nation. More than that, however, is the cultural impact rugby has had in Argentina according to assistant coach Diego Cash:

“Cash said people find in rugby and the example set by the Pumas a sport with values that have disappeared from everyday life.

"Rugby as it is experienced in Argentina is clearly a formative sport...in which tangible, serious values are transmitted that are representative and the effect of what the national team is doing today in Argentina, from what I'm told and the articles I read, is clearly to spark a resurgence of lost values.

"What catches people's attention when they approach this sport is the commitment, solidarity, camaraderie, team work, the fact that no one shines above another, but rather it's the team that shines."

Despite the possibility of missing top goalscorer Felipe Contempomi due to the flu, Argentina is the odds-on favorite to win Sunday’s match.

Sources- Bloomberg, BBC Sport, Bangkok Post, Reuters UK, International Herald Tribune

Image- Sporting Life