Argentina goes pro
Thu, 28 Aug 2008 10:16
Argentina, for so long the bastion of amateur rugby, has established a Subcommission of Professional Rugby.
This was done on 27 August 2008 with the unanimous approval of the council of the Unión Argentina de Rugby (UAR).
The chairman of the subcommission is Ricardo García Fernández and the members are Alejandro Cubelli, Ricardo Paganini and Pablo Gabellieri. Also involved in the subcommission as a players' representative is the former Puma captain Augustin Pichot.
The subcommission will report to the executive board of the UAR's council. Amongst its functions was to have Argentina placed in a regular international competition and to deal with the matter of professional rugby.
Argentina has so resisted tolerance of professional rugby that its top players have largely sought remuneration elsewhere, playing in Europe and elsewhere. At one stage the amateur principle was so strictly applied that advertisements were not allowed at grounds, let alone on apparel.
