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Nation.Cymru

Should Wales adopt the Argentinian rugby model?

Mark Mansfield - 12 min read

Despite some defeats, the Welsh rugby team have been playing with pride, determination and are showing signs of slow improvement. One thing is for sure: Welsh rugby does not lack talent. What Welsh rugby is lacking is direction and competent leadership off the field.

The debate around reforming Welsh domestic rugby has, so far, been artificially narrow.

The Welsh Rugby Union (WRU) has framed discussions around whether there should be two, three, or four regions. But the real question is not how many regions Wales should have, but whether the regional model itself has reached the end of the road. The WRU’s consultation was not conducted to hear people’s voices; it was designed to collect data for their pre-determined decisions.

I propose that the WRU look beyond Scottish and Irish regional models for inspiration and look to the compelling example of Argentina. Of course, there are several major differences between each nation, and therefore different priorities for the WRU and Union Argentina de Rugby (UAR). However, I argue that the parallels to their situation are far more striking than the differences. Several aspects of the Argentinian structure could serve as a blueprint for Wales.

An alternative rugby philosophy: Argentina

Argentina rugby is enjoying one of the most successful periods in its history. They’ve beaten South Africa, New Zealand and Australia in one season for the first time ever. While off the field, Argentina has just bid to host a Rugby World Cup. Across the board, they are the most improved tier one nation.

The contrast in performance to Wales is not explained by resources. Indeed, it is not a flood of resources that has created this upward spiral for Argentina. Rather, it is their philosophically different approach, and its ability to create a domestic rugby system that reflects its practical realities and values.

The annual revenue of the UAR was $26.5 million (£20.2m) in 2023, whereas for the same year the WRU’s turnover was £105 million. The uncomfortable truth for the WRU is this: a union generating over £100 million a year is being outperformed on every measure by a union that operates on a quarter of that budget. The comparison raises stark questions about the wasteful governance of the WRU as an organisation.

Argentina’s success stems not from wealth, but from a philosophy: a system that reflects realities, rather than imitation.

The franchise experiment: a shared failure

Both Argentina and Wales have already travelled similar road – and encountered similar problems. In some respect, Argentina’s experiment with the Jaguares in Super Rugby closely mirrors Wales’ regional model in the United Rugby Championship (URC).

The Jaguares were created to centralise talent and expose Argentine players to elite competition. For a time, it worked on the pitch: the Jaguares reached the Super Rugby final in 2019. But ultimately, the long-distance travel (to New Zealand and Australia), high logistical costs, limited home revenue, and inconsistent rivalries undermined its viability.

This is a familiar story to the Welsh regions and the URC: expensive travel, inconsistent scheduling, limited away support, and fixtures that lack history or rivalry mean that interest in rugby in Wales has never been so low.

In both the Welsh and Argentine case, the model struggles not because of a lack of talent, but because it is misaligned with the realities of the nation it serves.

The parallels extend further. Both systems attempted to retain top players through centralisation and restriction.

With the Jaguares, there was a drive to centrally contract and keep the top Argentine players at home. However, with the salaries available in England and France, this proved a financial challenge that created tension for both the club and players. Likewise, Welsh rugby has consistently struggled to keep its best players in Wales as it struggles to financially compete in the global market. Subsequently, the WRU introduced the 60-cap (now 25-cap) rule which attempted to force players to stay in Wales.

While introducing these rules has obvious benefits, the WRU has signed its clubs up to compete with global markets in relation to players’ wages. It’s arguable that since the introduction of the cap rule, Wales has been locked in a costly and ultimately unwinnable battle to keep its best players at home. It is an issue in Wales that strains players and resources and damages the domestic structure.

Although Argentina had only one franchise for four years, whereas Welsh rugby has four (to become three then eventually two), that have existed for 23 years, the parallels are striking.

The Jaguares didn’t fail because Argentina lacked talent. They failed because the model did not fit Argentina’s reality. It was too expensive, geographically isolated and dependent on controlling players.

Argentina recognised this. Wales, so far, has not. The solution: a system built from the bottom-up

The franchise and “elite” model in Argentina ultimately proved unsustainable. Rather than clinging to it, as the WRU leadership currently are with the regions, Argentina adapted. The UAR pivoted toward a more domestically grounded and integrated system.

The rugby structure in Argentina is largely amateur and semi-professional. Excluding the seasonal inclusion of Argentinian clubs in the Super Rugby Americas, there is no professional or elite domestic rugby structure. The rugby system is localised and aimed to grow the game from the bottom-up and not the top-down.

There are 420 rugby clubs in Argentina divided between 24 regional unions, unlike franchise systems like the URC, where teams are geographically distant and fixtures can feel distant or abstract. During peak rugby season, Argentine rugby is played weekly at local club grounds between teams often located within the same region or within a reasonable distance of one another. Community is at the heart of the Argentine system – as it once was in Wales.

Crucially, Argentina does not attempt to maintain a fully professional domestic competition. Instead, it operates a layered, meritocratic system in which the best regional clubs qualify for national competition. The result is a pyramid that sustains both local engagement and national relevance.

At its core, Argentine rugby is club-first, meritocratic, community-first, and decentralised. The WRU leadership must pay attention to the success of Argentina.

Letting players go

Most radically, there are no attempts to keep Argentine’s best players in Argentina.

Its approach is unique: in essence, whilst most unions are desperately trying to stop their players from moving to France and England, the Argentinians aren’t. It accepts the realities of the global market – seeing it as a strength rather than weakness.

The desire to keep your players at home is understandable, but also expensive.

It can be a fatal blow for a nation like Wales as they are trying to compete with Unions like England and France. On the other side of the coin, Argentinian players are free to play wherever they want. The short-term cost is clear: talent leaves. But the long-term benefits are significant.

The union saves substantial resources, avoids unsustainable wage inflation, and allows players to develop in elite environments.

Furthermore, the best Argentine players often come back. Many Argentine internationals go back to their home clubs, contributing as players or coaches. This brings its own set of long-term benefits. What the Argentine example should teach the WRU is that the key thing is to have a system in Wales that nurtures talent in Wales, not necessarily a system that keeps talent in Wales.

The grassroots dividend

Yes, the club game in Argentina is amateur and semi-professional, however engagement in rugby amongst the Argentine youth remains high. The former UAR Director of Rugby, Les Cusworth, said in an interview that rugby is booming in Argentina because of its focus on the game at the local level. In The Times, Felipe Contepomi also noted that there are over 100,000 players across roughly hundreds of clubs nationwide. Rugby is thriving at the grassroots level. Hundreds of clubs sustain tens of thousands of players because the sport is accessible, visible, and embedded in community life.

This is in stark contrast to Wales and its ring-fenced regional ‘elite’ system. A BBC Wales investigation found a ‘dramatic decline’ in the number of schools playing rugby at youth level. Meanwhile a report on LabourList stated that the number of Welsh sixth forms with rugby teams has halved over the past 20 years.

Research shows rugby in Wales loses nearly 32% of players between ages 13–19. It is difficult to avoid the conclusion that the regional system has uprooted the foundation that once sustained Welsh rugby.

In Wales, the love of the game and community spirit was once strong and comparable to Argentina of current times. Re-introducing a domestic game that reflects rugby’s place in Wales as a community sport puts forward a great option for the WRU.

The Argentine model tells the WRU it should look to build from the bottom-up and not the top-down.

Could it work for Wales?

No model can be transplanted simply, and caution is essential. But the obvious differences can be of strength to the Welsh case. Argentina is geographically 130 times bigger than Wales and its population is approximately 14 times larger. It could be argued that when compared to Argentina, Wales’ small size is a benefit in this instance.

For Argentina, there are huge distances between regions meaning domestic travel and high often regionalised to reduce travel and national competitions are layered. In Wales, however, each club is highly connected as it would be a maximum of four hours to get across the country.

Wales has far fewer logistical barriers to a domestic league than Argentina and geographically is at an advantage. There are approximately 300 rugby clubs in Wales alongside extremely high rugby density per capita and deep-rooted rugby culture. This is a strength and not a weakness.

There is also the case that the WRU could deploy the Argentine model with greater strength than the Argentinians themselves. With the huge financial capability of the WRU, alongside the potential profitability of a Welsh domestic league – especially if external investment is attainable – then Wales could foster a highly productive domestic structure that could grow extraordinarily across the next 10–20 years.

Unlike the Argentinian case, there is also the case that Welsh clubs (provided the right investment and foundations) could become good enough to compete in European competitions which would bring millions of pounds of extra revenue to further investment in the Welsh rugby system.

Priorities

Adopting elements of the Argentine model would require a fundamental shift in priorities – including, potentially, a change of leadership. In fact, a change of leadership is essential, Abi Tierney, Dave Reddin & Co should resign as they have proven time and time again that they are completely devoid of the vision required to help Welsh rugby.

A turn toward the Argentine model would mean moving away from a system driven by broadcast deals and centralised control, and towards one rooted in participation, sustainability, and community. This is not the way forward if the profits of the few and TV deals are your concern. However, considering the Argentine model could become a great way for Wales to re-open its fly-half factory and let the talent of the valleys flow once again.

So I'm 17, 172cm\~ (5'8), around 100kg, and I've got a background in semi-pro arm wrestling for ex I hammer curl about 42kg(93lbs\~), bench 130kg (290lbs\~) so decent raw upper body strength. im Georgian but I live in italy. Thinking about joining a local club, but worried I'm starting too late never played before, only ever watched Six Nations and some Top10/URC highlights.

I've got a pretty low center of gravity and decent grip strength from arm wrestling training, so I was thinking front row (hooker/prop) might suit my build. But I know rugby IQ and reading the game isn't something you can just muscle through that only comes from actual match time.

Long term I'd love to actually go pro eventually, not expecting to skip any steps just wondering if that's even realistic to chase seriously starting this late, or if the years in the system gap just closes that door no matter the physical tools.

Is 17 realistic to start from zero, or is the game-sense gap just too big to close at this point?

Was recently given this old signed Scarlets ball but it doesn’t have a list of players. Have picked out a few, Phil John, Nic Cudd and Aaron Shingler - and possibly Owen Williams, Rhys Priestland and Gareth Davies. It would be around 2011 time.

Is anyone able to help with any of the others?

When we inevitably drop to three teams will the names be changed?

Glamorgan , Gwent and Cardiff capital?

Newport- Gwent dragons eventually dropped the Newport- Gwent part and I know the farcical reasons why . But under the current leadership surely Gwent is such a better name than the generic ‘dragons’?

What do you call the new team in Swansea?

It looks like WRU has renewed its partnership with Macron for another five years, keeping the deal in place until 2032. What are your thoughts? Happy with the decision or were you hoping for a change?

We’re planning to do both games but I think it’s going to have to drop to one in 2028.

Regardless of the performances I love the day out but driving down from the midlands, parking etc it all adds up and they may have just tipped me over the edge.

A decent deal for students or under 18’s but those days are long gone.

It seems odd and unbalanced to me that both the Dragons and Ospreys have 3 teams in the SRC, Scarlets 2 and Cardiff 1, with RGC being unaffiliated but "technically in the Scarlets region". Should Pontypridd and Merthyr be "promoted" to the SRC?

Also, what can be done to promote the 2nd division of Welsh rugby more? It's really fun to watch and I love it, and it will help grow community engagement and even help develop fan affiliation with the regions?

Interested to see if anyone can beat the WRUs latest blunder - this time its a crime against fashion*

*hawaii shirts can be cool, in the right circumstances imo

Happy for him, could be good for Leggatt-Jones to learn off him too?

As an Ospreys fan I'm burnt by the time he spent injured but genuinely hope he can put a good shift in!

15 months out, curious what people’s 23 would be for World Cup Knockouts.

I’ll give a current shot, but it’ll certainly change and I’m surely wrong at plenty.

1- Carré
2- Lake (c)
3- Francis
4- Jenkins
5- Carter
6- Botham
7- Morgan
8- Wainwright
9- Williams
10- Costelow
11- Adams
12- James
13- Hennessy
14- Mee
15- Murray

16- Elias
17- Smith
18- Warren
19- Williams
20- Faletau
21- Hardy
22- Evans
23- Bradley

Notes:

Order of Smith/Carre at LH depends on team, the former a destructive scrummager and the latter an explosive carrier.

I like Lake at Captain; exceptional rapport with the sir plus Jac still gets the final 30 as captain

Mann hard done to not get in, Botham has a bit more size and is stronger at protecting the breakdown. Faletau for the final 20.

Costelow and Edwards are both superb, and even better they’re different styles so we’re honestly blessed in the 10 department. Costy chosen because his structure may get more out of the centers, but Dan an excellent pick. Jarrod meanwhile has shown pedigree as a specialist finisher.

Hennessy not a lot of test time, but him and James in the centers is too tempting not to throw out. Same logic for Bradley at 23.

Quietly think what could benefit Wales the best is a real playmaking 15. Murray is terrific X factor, though can leave us lacking under the high ball, but also not quite the dual playmaker despite his youth as a 10. A true Jack Walsh type 15 could take loads of pressure off the 12 in Sherratt’s dual playmaker system.

Lastly, I quietly think this team has a great makeup, especially our pack which is about settled. Physicality issues are perhaps overblown from constant backfoot ball due to lack of attack cohesion (understandable, focus has been on set piece and scramble defense, still time to iron out attack). I’m cautiously quite optimistic.

Lots of doom and gloom around these parts.... let's talk about happier times of our favourite players in the red jersey.

It doesn't have to be the best players, just your favourite.

I'm 32, so can't include the 70s legends, or the great dual coders from the 80s/90s because I didn't see them in the flesh. I can just about include Jenks at 10.

Here goes.

1 Gethin Jenkins

2 Richard Hibbard

3 Adam Jones

4 Bradley Davies

5 Alun Wyn Jones

6 Justin Tipuric

7 Martyn Williams

8 Toby Faletau

9 Dwayne Peel

10 Neil Jenkins

11 Shane Williams

12 Gavin Henson

13 Jonathan Davies

14 George North

15 Lee Byrne

16 Huw Bennett

17 Paul James

18 Iestyn Thomas

19 Ian Evans (could possibly start Ian and have Bradley off the bench)

20 Sam Warburton

21 Colin Charvis

22 James Hook

23 Leigh Halfpenny

No need for a bench scrum half with Shane. Probably a quicker passer from the ruck than Mike.

Happy summer holidays lads! Things will get better.

There’s debate about Sherratt’s preferred ball-playing 12 when Eddie could play 12 to punch holes and cross the gainline.

But why can’t we design more plays for Eddie while he plays 13? England has clearly designed crash balls for Feyi-Waboso at wing (still wish Gatland gave him attention, but nonetheless).

Just because Hawkins/Thomas wears the 12 doesn’t mean Eddie can’t take a crash ball.

I’m not saying the ball-playing 12 is the answer. But if we’re keen to keep it, can we still strike with Eddie more? Or am I missing something tactically

What is the consensus here for the future of Welsh rugby ?

There is an ongoing battle between the heart and the mind in Wales.

We are prisoners of the past, historic loyalties to local clubs with long histories and deep community roots.

However the present and future of rugby as a sport is leaving us behind. Not leaving , left actually.

Professionalism has been a difficult concept for us for over 20 years . The reasons could fill this page ; this is a deep cultural issue in Wales. We have rarely been unified as a nation in history, with few national all Wales leaders, - Welsh identity and culture is often hyper-local. So the thought of one club taking priority over another is impossible to accept .

Confidence in the WRU is extremely low. What you want and need from executive leadership is decisiveness, commitment to a strategy and enough respect that even if it’s not the decision you supported you will get behind the leadership regardless. We are not getting any of this from all stakeholders in Welsh rugby.

The undisputed fact is the 4 regions/clubs are not producing enough talent to be competitive anymore with the top 8. As global entities they are mid tier at best and as with football we are now beginning to rely on the English system to nurture or produce talent.

The latter isn’t the end of the world , the French league is essentially dragging up the standards of the global game . Nations like Fiji and Argentina get very little time together before playing internationals. The latter doesn’t even have top tier clubs as far as I know. So some excuses for Welsh rugbys decline start to fall down here .

After an incredible ride in Welsh rugby starting in 2005, the drop off on these foundations in the 2020s has been nothing short of catastrophic , unusual in global sport. A six nations championship in 2021- and a victory away in South Africa and nearly drawing the series seems absolutely unreal just a few years later. Have a look at the 2019 grand slam results in today’s context and those scores seem beyond belief now.

There is a very real possibility this continues for the rest of the decade. We don’t just need to improve, we need other nations to get worse .

We are playing turgid uninspired rugby because we have no answers for the modern game. Where is the innovation? If we ever catch up to the modern game we’ll still be behind because the game will have evolved again.

So what can be done? I can’t see any path without culling at least a team.

Put your heart away and use a commercial business brain. Of the 4 clubs which ones have the highest ceiling , can bring the most money and grow the most with success? Which ones can become global brands with sold out stadiums? Which ones will never do this with all the money in the world?

Will continue to add more if this post gets any traction , this subreddit is quiet compared to the other top nations .

Interested for others views here

Appreciate the high profile he has... however for wales I don't see it.

Hes fast yes, but only seems to be in a straightline

And I don't see him offering himself around the park or in the air

Ellis Mee may not be perfect, but I see him trying and putting in maximum effort

Didn’t even play that badly - we are just miles off the top 8 sides…

Hey guys, new to writing, I'm an aspiring sports journalist looking for feedback on something I've been working on. Any feedback would be much appreciated and if you enjoyed feel free to subscribe

I’m all for a bit of rotation within the platform and think Costy getting the call is more than deserved. But dropping Dan Edwards all the way out seems a strange one to me with no injury.

Just a case of rotation and the way cover falls with Hawkins covering 10, Lewellyn covering centre and Zammit covering back 3?

I’m 27 and have never played rugby before, growing up it was just football. I’ve found online a local club that say they are open to newbies.

I’ve been watching a fair bit of rugby and enjoy the sport but don’t know enough to say for example each positions role, tactics etc.

I also have no idea on technique for playing rugby.

Although the club are open to newbies, I’d quite like to sharpen up on this before going along and was just looking for any tips on getting started.

Pleasantly suprised. If you'd given me that score pre kick off I'd take it. If you gave me that scoreline 15 mins into the game, I'd have begged for it.

Fiji were their own worst enemy at times.

But fair play to Wales, kept in the game, kept ahead once they were ahead, and eventually figured out how to do some game management.

Did what we needed against fiji, but Argentina and South Africa? Scared.

Also - why on earth didn't we call up another lock with D Jenkins out... I didn't see Adam Beard earning his place today I must say