I'm back home in Palmerston North after a month in Argentina working with city and rural clubs in this new frontier of rugby development. For years the coaches in Argentina have been highly regarded by those who work with them but it was the passion of the players and the people involved that made me think of how rugby used to be in New Zealand.
For this coaching tour Ellis Rugby recruited the services of Dennis Brown who was magnificent and added so much value for his insight into planning and management strategies in modern rugby. Brownie has a wealth of experience having worked with NZ colts and age groups teams with great success over many years. With Brownie churning away with the coaches in the classroom and me slugging it out on the field we were able to cater for all the requirements of the players and coaches involved. The tour was made possible thanks to foresight and great planning by Mariano Salleras and Maurico Naranjo Sosa who co-ordinated with 4 clubs to share the cost of funding our visit. The hospitality given to us by all these clubs was outstanding and has left us with many fond memories of our time in Argentina.
The strength of the club system in Argentina was reminiscent of days gone by in NZ; all the clubs are very family oriented and community based. As Argentinean rugby looks to move forward into a professional environment I sincerely hope they don't lose the passion and enthusiasm at grass roots level.
In Buenos Aires our tour started at the Pucara Club which is one of the top clubs in Argentina. This is where we first witnessed the enthusiasm and love for the game that the rugby people of Argentina have and I think this surprised both Brownie and myself. The players are of really good quality and many were getting ready to embark on a tour of Europe - carrying a party of over 100 players and management - astounding.
Our stay at Monte Grande Club in Buenos Aires was one of our longest - we were working there for two weeks with only a four day break in the middle to go to Iguazu. Monte Grande is a real club on the move, currently paying in the second division but with great vision looking to the future. They have a strong junior programme and some fantastic coaches at their senior level.
The Taraguy Rugby Club in Corrientes formed 50 years ago and their admiration for NZ rugby was such that they modeled their club on the All Blacks. To this day they still play in black, even though it is oppressively hot in Corrientes; and we were treated to a stirring rendition of the haka by the youngsters in the junior club. (Aee my Facebook page for the video). Later, during some speeches the passion demonstrated by some of the founding members when talking about their club and New Zealand rugby made Brownie and I both very proud to be kiwis.
The smaller Cataratas Club in Iguazu, whilst not blessed with the numbers or talent of the bigger clubs in Buenos Aires still demonstrated that strong Argentinean passion for the game. Here we also came into contact with players who travelled from as far as Brazil and Paraguay to participate in our coaching sessions. We'll never forget the wonderful service from Pablo and his wife at their awesome La Rueda restaurant - a must visit place if you are ever in this part of the world.
Thanks to all those people who showed us such kindness - there is too many names to list here but the memories will last forever.
For those who might be looking to venture into this new frontier my advice would be to learn spanish and go with an open heart as the people are so warm and welcoming. It may not be the land of opportunity in a financial sense, but I'm certain that your spiritual well-being will be uplifted by the experience.
