The Sudamérica XV (sometimes nicknamed the Jaguars)Memoria y Balance 1980 on UAR is a rugby union team made up from the national rugby sides in the Sudamérica Rugby (formerly CONSUR) rugby federation.
The squad was first formed in 1980 to compete against South African teams, in defiance of the anti-apartheid sporting boycott. Over the eight test matches played, seven of them were won by the Springboks and only one was won by the Jaguars. This single victory came at Bloemfontein in 1982.
In 2011, a new Sudamérica XV was formed to face the Argentine side before they trip to New Zealand to play the 2011 Rugby World Cup.
History First team: the 1980s
The side was formed in 1980 after an invitation from the SARU to the Argentine Rugby Union (UAR) to play a series of games there as a way of counteracting its sporting isolation which was due to the country's apartheid policies.Pumas disfrazados de carneros: la infamia de Sudamérica XV y su apoyo al Apartheid by Juan Provéndola on La Izquierda Diario, 3 Apr 2018LA LEYENDA NEGRA - El rugby argentino, el apartheid sudafricano y la ilusión de mantenerse al margen de la realidad by ANDRÉS REGGIANI on El Cohete a la Luna, 26 Mar 2023
The team that toured was mainly made up of Argentina players and included a few Uruguayan, Chilean, Paraguayan, Brazilian and even Spanish players. The team was named "Sudamérica XV", wearing a white jersey with blue, red and gold stripes. The badge included a puma, a condor, a lapwing and a jaguar, representing Argentina, Chile, Uruguay and Paraguay respectively. Rodolfo O'Reilly was appointed as coach.
The Jaguars was a 'shadow' Argentine national team, not officially recognised by the UAR as a stratagem to elude the prohibition of the Argentine government that since the early 1970s forbade any official relationship between any Argentine sport federation and South African and Rhodesian ones, due to the apartheid politics of those countries.Pumas disfrazados de corderos by Juan Ignacio Provéndola on La Izquierda Diario, 3 Apr 2018 This ostracism had started in 1971 when the Argentine government forbade the Pumas to play a match in Rhodesia during the tour in South Africa.Memoria y Balance 1971, p.9, on UAR (archived, 1 Nov 2012)
In March 1973, the Argentine government and the UAR had a great conflict: the government contested to UAR the permit given to San Isidro Club to visit South Africa, and forced the federal committee of UAR to resign. A new committee was elected on 24 April 1973. In November the government also forbade all visits to South Africa by any Argentine team and any visit of a South African team into Argentina. This ban remained until 1991.
The only victory of Sudamérica XV in a test match came in 1982, when they beat South Africa 21–12, with all points scored by captain Hugo Porta. It also became the first win of an Argentine side over South Africa so all the players on the field were from that country.
In 1984 the Argentine Government forced the UAR to forbid the use of any Argentine emblem by the players. As a result, the body decided not to send any representative to South Africa, declining the invitation. Nevertheless, the players accepted the invitation, being part of the South American Jaguars that toured that year.Memoria y Balance 1984, p.3, on UAR That tour was the last, with the Jaguars being dissolved.LA HISTORIA DETRÁS DEL EQUIPO DE SUDAMÉRICA XV on Chile Rugby, 10 Nov 2018South Africa v South America at Cape Town on ESPN Scrum
Rebirth In 2011, the side played one match against Argentina, in San Juan as part of their 2011 Rugby World Cup warm-ups.Plantel de Sudamérica Invitación para enfrentar a Los Pumas on CONSUR, 20 Jul 2011PUMAS (SUDAMÉRICA XV) on Periodismo Rugby, 20 Jul 2011 Argentina won 78–15.Las fotos de Pumas Vs Sudamérica XV on A pleno rugby, 7 Aug 2011
The team reassembled in 2013, and played England on 2 June 2013 at Estadio Charrúa in Montevideo as a warm-up match for the EnglishSUDAMÉRICA XV (INGLATERRA) on Periodismo Rugby, 28 May 2013Sudamérica XV cayó frente a Inglaterra on Norterugby.com.ar - 2 Jun 2013 before playing 2 tests against Argentina.England confirm Argentina tour
The team competed at the 2015 Urucup, with players from the Argentine Pladar Litoral plus three guests from Colombia, Paraguay and Venezuela.Sudamérica XV, pronto para volver a tierras uruguayas - Rugby Time, 4 March 2015
In November 2018, Sudamérica XV toured Chile and Paraguay to play the respective national teams. In August 2019, the team played Uruguay, which beat them 24–20.URUGUAY DERROTÓ A SUDAMÉRICA XV EN UN INTENSO ENCUENTRO on SAR, 25 Aug 2019
After a long hiatus of over four years, Sudamérica XV was reassembled in 2023 to play vs Georgian professional team Black Lion, then Rugby Europe Super Cup champion, at Estadio Charrúa.Black Lion llega desde Georgia a Sudamérica on World Rugby, 7 Apr 2023 Sudamérica XV defeated the Lions 28–24. The regional side was formed by players from Argentina, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, and Uruguay.MPORTANTE TRIUNFO DE SUDAMÉRICA XV on SAR, 28 Apr 2023
Team image Badge
The team's badge includes four animal figures, each of them representing a symbol of their respective countries,Sudamérica XV on Periodismorugby.com.ar, 25 Apr 2023 they are puma (Argentina),Identidad on UAR.com.arLa Unión Argentina de Rugby presentó su "nueva identidad" on El Litorial condor (Chile),Mundial de Rugby 2023: ¿por qué se conoce a la selección chilena como los Cóndores? by Víctor Maldonado on As.chile.com, 11 Sep 2023 tero (Uruguay),Por qué le llaman Los Teros a la Selección uruguaya de rugby on DirecTVsports and yacare (Paraguay).Los ex Yacarés recuerdan 20 años de la gira por África on Ultimahora.com
These animals have also been the symbols (and nicknames) of the four rugby national teams. In the case of Chile, the condor is also the national emblem of the country,Cóndor andino on National Geographic appearing in the national coat of arms promulgated in 1832.Los secretos del Escudo Nacional on Ejército de Chile site
Kit history
Test results Summarised list of matches played by the South American side (only considered "tests" are included):
Date Venue City Rival Score Character Ref. 26 April 1980 Wanderers Stadium Johannesburg Tour to South Africa Memoria y Balance 1980 at UAR 3 May 1980 Kings Park Stadium Durban 18 October 1980 Wanderers Club Montevideo Tour to South America 25 October 1980 Prince of Wales C.C. Santiago 27 March 1982 Loftus Versfeld Pretoria Tour to South Africa Memoria y Balance 1982 at UAR 3 April 1982 Free State Bloemfontein HUGO PORTA, EN PRIMERA PERSONA on El Gráfico, 15 Jan 2009 20 October 1984 Loftus Versfeld Pretoria Tour to South Africa Memoria y Balance 1984 at UAR 27 October 1984 Newlands Cape Town 6 August 2011 Bicentenario San Juan VISA Cup 2 June 2013 Estadio Charrúa Montevideo Tour to Argentina 31 May 2014 Ateneo Inmaculada Santo Tomé Copa Banco Santa Fe Memoria y Balance 2014 at UAR 8 March 2015 Estadio Charrúa Montevideo Uruguay B Urucup 11 March 2015 Estadio Charrúa Montevideo Urucup Memoria y Balance 2015 at UAR 14 March 2015 Estadio Charrúa Montevideo Urucup 10 November 2018 Municipal Stadium La Pintana Tour to South America Triunfo de Sudamérica XV ante Chile on Norte Rugby, 11 Nov 2018 17 November 2018 Héroes de Curupaytí Asunción Victoria de Sudamérica XV ante Paraguay on Norte Rugby, 17 Nov 2018 24 August 2019 Estadio Charrúa Montevideo Warm-up match 28 April 2023 Estadio Charrúa Montevideo Black Lion Tour to South America El plantel de Sudamérica XV para el amistoso ante Black Lion on Scrum ESPN
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