Rugby Union in Argentina has a long and proud history, having first been introduced into the country by British expatriates back in the 19th century.

Despite that, the Argentinian national side, known as the Pumas, only became a member of the International Rugby Board in 1987 when they were invited to compete in the inaugural Rugby World Cup.

Although the game has been professional for more than a decade now, domestic rugby in Argentina remains to a large extent amateur, which no doubt explains why so many of their top players choose to ply their trade in the top European leagues, most notably in England, Ireland and France.

Argentina's best known player to this day is the legendary fly-half, Hugo Porta, the man responsible for really putting the country's rugby union team on the international map.

Since his heyday dozens of top players have emerged from the country and the Pumas really came of age at the 2007 World Cup.

They stunned hosts France in the opening match of the tournament and went on to make the semi-finals. This proved one step too far, however, as they were well beaten by eventual champions South Africa. Nevertheless, their exploits were positive proof that the Pumas could hold their own against the best teams on the planet.

Sadly, Argentina have still not been invited to play in one of the big annual competitions - namely the Six Nations or Tri-Nations - but hopefully that is a matter which will be resolved in the not-too-distant future.