Major honours
The Pumas were the last Tier 1 nation to secure a regular international schedule. The Argentine Rugby Union formed in 1899, but for decades the team depended on occasional friendly tours rather than a regular competition, even so producing world-class fly-halves like Hugo Porta in the 1970s and 80s. The decisive breakthrough came at the 2007 France World Cup, where Argentina opened by beating host France 17-12, then beat them again 34-10 in the third-place playoff to finish third — a result that led directly to its 2012 entry into the Rugby Championship. Playing New Zealand, South Africa and Australia home and away every year stabilized its competitiveness, and Argentina reached the semifinal again in 2015 and 2023. In Sydney in November 2020, it beat New Zealand 25-15 for its first-ever win over the All Blacks, having managed only a draw in their previous meeting back in 1985. Set-piece precision in the scrum and lineout has long been the team's identity, and many of its regulars play in the French and English leagues.
Record comparison
Bars are scaled to the strongest team in this list.
Club legends
Rivalry
The scrum battle against South Africa in the Rugby Championship is the fiercest, and repeated World Cup meetings with France in 2007 and 2023 also carry special weight.