Argentina, set to play in a revamped Four Nations from 2012, have moved a step closer to joining the tournament’s governing body Sanzar, former Pumas captain Agustin Pichot said on Friday.
The Argentine Rugby Union (UAR), whom Pichot represented at a meeting of Sanzar (South Africa, New Zealand and Australia Rugby) in Sydney that ended on Friday, wants to secure a permanent place in the southern hemisphere’s top competition.
“Now, yes, there is only a little further to go to be officially part of Sanzar when everything is signed,” Pichot was quoted as saying on the UAR website.
Pichot fought long and hard to obtain a place for the Pumas, who he led to the bronze medal at the 2007 World Cup in France, in a top annual international competition. They were the only team in the world’s top 10 not playing in such an event.
“It has been a long, tiring process but I hope that now we have an accord. It has all been agreed and in Sanzar’s hands and they must send the agreed [points to us] in writing one last time,” Pichot added.
The former scrumhalf said that with the Tri-Nations already an economically successful competition, the challenge now was “to give it added value, not only on the pitch but also off it”. – Reuters