Should Wales adopt the Argentinian rugby model?

Evan Wall

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.

This article was Originally Published in July 2026 in the Welsh Agenda.

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