Argentina’s men’s rugby union national team, the Pumas, are set to take on their South African counterpart, the Springboks, in a test match this Saturday.
The duel is part of a set of test matches that will see Argentina host South Africa once and Australia twice. It’s set to kick off at 4 p.m. Argentina time, at the José Amalfitani Stadium in Buenos Aires.
Argentina is coming off its first round of games in the Nations Championship, the biannual competition that sees teams from the Northern and Southern Hemispheres compete for rugby dominance.
The Pumas hosted three games, beating Wales and losing to England and Scotland, but will have to prepare for the November games.
The squad put forward by Argentina head coach Felipe Contepomi features several key absentees, and plenty of new names.
Many of the players who took part in the Nations Championship will miss out as they begin preparations for their seasons in the European rugby leagues. Among the key absentees are Justo Piccardo, Bautista Delguy, Joaquín Oviedo, Julián Montoya, Marcos Kremer, and Tomás Albornoz.
Contepomi’s list features plenty of new names for the Pumas, including ten players who will be representing Argentina for the first time. The head coach said the games are “very important” for the Pumas as they take on a “very demanding series.”
Argentina star Rodrigo Isgró emphasized the importance of preparation ahead of the three games while speaking to ESPN.
“Having two weeks to work things out is great,” he said. “There’s a lot of new guys who have stepped up well, but we have to help them get up to speed”
He said South Africa is a “very pragmatic” team who’s got a clear game plan, so the Pumas are thinking about their own game.
“Teamwork and set plays are going to be very important. Having faced them before gives us valuable experience. I’m really looking forward to this,” Isgró added.
South Africa on a roll
Two-time defending World Champions South Africa aren’t slowing down. The Springboks won their three Nations Championship games with ease, beating England 45-21, Scotland 42-28 and Wales 43-0.
It’s a duel in which Argentina can’t rely on history to do the heavy lifting. Across 40 games, South Africa has beaten the Pumas 35 times, with a single tie and just four wins for Argentina.
However, the tide is shifting toward a more balanced rivalry, with the Pumas’ four wins all coming after 2015, and knife-edge finishes of 1 point in Johannesburg in 2023 and 2 points in London in 2025.
South African head coach Rassie Erasmus insisted the Pumas are a tough rival.
“They are a quality team, and they have proved that in our previous clashes,” he said ahead of the match. “In fact, they defeated us in Argentina the last time we faced them there in 2024, so we know how tough it is to win there, and we intend to take a quality team to Buenos Aires.”
The Springboks will welcome the return of one of their stars, Sacha Feinberg-Mngomezulu, who missed the Nations Championship matches with an ankle injury but is expected to be available against Argentina and in their upcoming match against New Zealand.
A historic venue
The Pumas will take on this challenge at what could be called their home, the José Amalfitani Stadium in Buenos Aires.
Usually the home of Argentine first division football club Vélez Sarsfield — with the stadium named after a historic president of the club — the venue has hosted some of the Pumas’ most historic achievements since first hosting the rugby national team in May 1986.
Those include wins such as the debut game, a 15-13 win against France, a 15-13 win against England in 1990, and perhaps the most important of them all: Los Pumas’ first and only victory over the All Blacks on Argentine soil, a 29-23 win in August 2025.
While the national team has since focused on playing across the country to expand the sport’s reach, the Amalfitani remains perhaps the most iconic venue for the Pumas. Across 40 games, Argentina has 15 wins, 1 tie, and 24 losses.
How to watch the game: tickets, TV, and a hospitality experience
If you’re interested in attending the game, tickets are still available through Ticketek, with prices ranging from ARS 35,000 (just under US$24) to ARS350,000 (US$234).
For those looking to live the match to the fullest, the Official Los Pumas Hospitality Experience offers an exclusive area featuring cuisine, music, a cocktail bar, drinks, raffles, activities, and the chance to meet former Los Pumas players in attendance that day.
The experience starts two hours before the game and continues for up to two hours after, all while giving you the opportunity to watch the contest from a prime location in the lower stands.
The match will also be broadcast live on ESPN and via Disney+ Premium.
Cover image: Prensa UAR
