Wales Return to Argentina After Nearly 60 Years

Wales have touched down in Argentina, continuing a tradition that spans almost six decades of touring the Pumas. It is eight years since the last Welsh appearance in South America, and this visit will be a brief one, featuring a single Nations Championship match in San Juan before the squad heads to Durban for a showdown with South Africa. The journey covers roughly 7,000 miles, a distance never before traveled by Wales for a solitary fixture, and the players arrive on two separate flights. Previous trips to Buenos Aires have been marked by drama, from on‑field battles to off‑field intrigue, setting a colourful backdrop for the current campaign. As BBC Sport Wales recounts, each encounter with the Pumas has added a new chapter to a long‑standing rivalry.

1968: Wales’ First South America Trip

The inaugural Welsh tour to South America took place 58 years ago, a six‑match schedule under coach Clive Rowlands that yielded three victories, two draws and a single loss. The series was initially not recognised as a Test by the Welsh Rugby Union, but seven of the players later received president’s caps in 2013, cementing its status. For Phil Bennett and JPR Williams the trip launched illustrious careers, while for many others it remained their solitary opportunity to wear the Welsh jersey. Argentina shocked the visitors with a win and a draw, handing Wales a series defeat that still resonates in Welsh rugby memory. The 1968 tour laid the groundwork for future encounters and highlighted the challenges of playing far from home.

1999: Wales’ Historic Series Win

After a 31‑year hiatus, Wales returned to Argentina in 1999 and made history by becoming the first northern‑hemisphere side to secure a 2‑0 Test series victory. Both matches were staged in Buenos Aires, with Wales triumphing 36‑26 and 23‑16, the latter result securing a 10‑match winning streak under Graham Henry. Neil Jenkins’ 18‑point haul in the second Test pushed him beyond the 800‑point milestone in international rugby. The game will forever be remembered for a fierce melee that began on the field and spilled into the dug‑out after Argentina’s prop Mauricio Reggiardo struck Wales wing Dafydd James. Despite the melee, only yellow cards were shown to Reggiardo, captain Pedro Sporleder and Wales prop Peter Rogers, a curious outcome that still sparks debate. The tumult continued into the 1999 World Cup in Cardiff, where a gouge by Wales hooker Garin Jenkins and a retaliatory ban for flanker Colin Charvis added further drama.

2004: Shane Williams’ Brilliance Helps Wales Equalise

The 2004 tour mirrored the current schedule, with Wales facing Argentina and South Africa on the same trip. Mike Ruddock led his first Wales tour, opening with a two‑Test series in Buenos Aires. The first Test proved a nail‑biter, a 50‑44 defeat that featured 11 Welsh tries and a 94‑point total, while Felipe Contepomi—now Argentina’s coach—scored 20 points, edging out Gavin Henson by a single point. Wales rallied seven days later, securing a 35‑20 win thanks to a dazzling first‑half hat‑trick from Shane Williams and another 15 points from Henson. After the euphoria of levelling the series, the squad endured a grueling five‑time‑zone move to Pretoria, where they suffered a heavy 53‑18 loss to South Africa. The 2004 campaign showcased Wales’ ability to compete at high altitude and highlighted the contrast between success against Argentina and disappointment against the Springboks.

2006: Alun Wyn Jones Starts on Path to Record Caps

Under new head coach Gareth Jenkins, Wales endured a double defeat in Argentina in 2006, marking Jenkins’ first matches in charge after replacing Ruddock. The opening Test was played in Puerto Madryn, a city linked to the Welsh colony of Patagonia founded in 1865, adding a historic flavour to the contest. A narrow 27‑25 victory for the Pumas marked the international debut of lock Alun Wyn Jones, who started at flanker on that day and would later become the world’s most‑capped player with 158 Test appearances. Fellow Ospreys lock Ian Evans opened his account with a spectacular 45‑metre galloping try after intercepting a pass from Agustín Pichot, but a week later he faced a six‑week ban for a reckless charge on Pichot during a 45‑27 defeat. The 2006 tour reinforced the physical demands of playing in Argentina and set the stage for Jones’ extraordinary career.

2018: Wales Dominate Again and Set Up Future Success

Warren Gatland’s side repeated the two‑Test triumph of 1999 when they visited Argentina in 2018, building on the momentum of a warm‑up win over South Africa in Washington DC, Rassie Erasmus’ first match as Springbok coach. The squad, missing many British & Irish Lions players from the 2017 New Zealand tour, was led by co‑captains Ellis Jenkins and Cory Hill. Wales opened with a 23‑10 victory in San Juan, thanks to tries from flanker James Davies and wing George North, while Rhys Patchell contributed key kicks. The second Test in Santa Fe saw Patchell’s 20 points seal a 30‑12 win, with further scores from Josh Adams and Hallam Amos. The only blot on the tour was a late red card for number eight Ross Moriarty, ejected for a prolonged headlock on Argentina’s outside‑half Nicolas Sanchez; the dismissal made him the eighth Welsh player to be sent off. The series lifted Wales to third in the world rankings and laid the groundwork for Gatland’s 14‑match winning run, the 2019 Grand Slam and a semi‑final appearance at the Rugby World Cup in Japan.

Current Tour: What It Means for Wales

The upcoming tour marks the first time in over six decades that Wales will contest a single Test in Argentina before moving on to face South Africa, a schedule designed to test depth and adaptability. The squad’s arrival on two flights and the 7,000‑mile trek underscore the logistical challenges that have defined past visits. With the Nations Championship game in San Juan serving as a warm‑up, the experience mirrors earlier tours that combined tournament play with goodwill matches against the Pumas and the Springboks. History suggests that a strong performance against Argentina could set the tone for the rest of the campaign, much as the 1999 and 2018 series wins propelled Wales to new heights. Fans and pundits will watch closely to see how the current group builds on those legacy tours and whether they can add another memorable chapter to Wales’ South American story.

Past Argentina v Wales Results

• Argentina 9‑5 Wales, Buenos Aires, 14 September 1968
• Argentina 9‑9 Wales, Buenos Aires, 28 September 1968
• Wales 16‑7 Argentina, Cardiff, 9 October 1991
• Wales 43‑30 Argentina, Llanelli, 21 November 1998
• Argentina 26‑36 Wales, Buenos Aires, 5 June 1999
• Argentina 16‑23 Wales, Buenos Aires, 12 June 1999
• Wales 23‑18 Argentina, Cardiff, 1 October 1999
• Wales 16‑30 Argentina, Cardiff, 10 November 2001
• Argentina 50‑44 Wales, Tucumán, 12 June 2004
• Argentina 20‑35 Wales, Buenos Aires, 19 June 2004
• Argentina 27‑25 Wales, Puerto Madryn, 11 June 2006
• Argentina 45‑27 Wales, Buenos Aires, 17 June 2006
• Wales 27‑20 Argentina, Cardiff, 18 August 2007
• Wales 33‑16 Argentina, Cardiff, 21 November 2009
• Wales 28‑13 Argentina, Cardiff, 20 August 2011
• Wales 12‑26 Argentina, Cardiff, 10 November 2012
• Wales 40‑6 Argentina, Cardiff, 16 November 2013
• Wales 24‑20 Argentina, Cardiff, 12 November 2016
• Argentina 10‑23 Wales, San Juan, 9 June 2018
• Argentina 12‑30 Wales, Santa Fe, 16 June 2018
• Wales 20‑20 Argentina, Cardiff, 10 July 2021
• Wales 11‑33 Argentina, Cardiff, 17 July 2021
• Wales 20‑13 Argentina, Cardiff, 12 November 2022
• Argentina 29‑17 Wales, Marseille, 14 October 2023
• Wales 28‑52 Argentina, Cardiff, 9 November 2025