[tps_title]American Football Thriving in Argentina[/tps_title]
Like many other countries in Latin America and throughout the world, Argentina has seen American football make significant strides over the past decade or so.
Currently the four biggest cities in Argentina – Buenos Aires, Córdoba, Rosario, and Mendoza – have organized teams/leagues playing tackle football:
Although each city has its own history, the initial stage for all of them was a group of enthusiasts meeting together informally to play flag football and then growing from there.
Buenos Aires
Cruzados vs. Tiburones, Tazón Austral X
Since Buenos Aires is the capital city, and almost 50% of all Argentines live in and around the metropolitan Buenos Aires area, it is no surprise that the city has the longest trajectory of American football in the country and also has the most developed league.
Currently there are six teams in Buenos Aires and they play a tournament in late October and early November every year, the final game of which determines the champion. Called the “Tazón Austral” (Southern Bowl) it was first held in 2005. Winners of that initial event were the Tiburones who defeated the Osos Polares. The other two teams competing in the league in 2005 were the Cruzados and the Jabalíes.
In 2006 a fifth team was formed, the Corsarios, and the sixth team to join the league was the Legionarios, in 2007.
They play 9 man football, with the rules being basically the same as 11-on-11, minus two linemen. In the latest championship game, Tazón Austral X, the Cruzados beat the Tiburones 27-0, winning their fourth championship.
Next: Córdoba
[tps_title]American Football Thriving in Argentina[/tps_title]
[tps_header]Córdoba[/tps_header]
Centauros vs. Dragones, 2014)
As for Córdoba, a small group began getting together to play flag football in 2006, with the goal of playing, learning about, and spreading the news of American football.
In 2007 they started playing tackle football and in 2008 formed a league of three teams: Centauros, Coyotes, and Dragones.
For several years the teams played 7-on-7, but started playing 9-on-9 in 2014. The champions of the league in Córdoba in 2014 were the Centauros, winning their first trophy.
Next: Rosario
[tps_title]American Football Thriving in Argentina[/tps_title]
[tps_header]Rosario[/tps_header]
Football in Rosario
Although flag football began to be played in Rosario in 1996, it was not until 2013 that they began to play tackle football.
The Rosario league is made up of three teams: Orcos, Celtas, and Espartanos. They currently play 7-on-7, with the championship game being called the “Tazón de la Bandera” (The Flag Bowl).
Next: Mendoza
[tps_title]American Football Thriving in Argentina[/tps_title]
[tps_header]Mendoza[/tps_header]
Libertadores of Mendoza vs. Felinos of Chile
Mendoza has just recently started to organize and develop tackle football.
There are four teams – the Libertadores, Red Lions, Espartanos, and Condores – although some of these teams are still in their infancy, without pads or a fully organized structure.
The Libertadores are perhaps the most organized, as they have played a couple of tackle games against a team from Chile, the Felinos.
Hopefully a league in Mendoza will form soon.
Next: Inter-City Battles!
[tps_title]American Football Thriving in Argentina[/tps_title]
[tps_header]Inter-city Matches[/tps_header]
Córdoba Águilas vs. Buenos Aires Patricios,
In addition to these cities with their respective leagues, other inter-city games are played.
Every year since 2009, players selected from Córdoba called the “Águilas,” face a team from Buenos Aires, called the “Patricios.” The Águilas of Córdoba have only taken one victory, in 2013. The game between these two teams is called the “Tazón del Centro” and Patricios won in 2014 with a score of 41 to 7.
The Córdoba Águilas also began to play a yearly match vs. a selection of players from Rosario, the Rosario team being named the Samurais. In the first match between them, the Córdoba Águilas won 16 – 7.
Next: What’s next for American Football in Argentina?
[tps_title]American Football Thriving in Argentina[/tps_title]
[tps_header]What’s next?[/tps_header]
A question on many people’s mind is where will American football in Argentina go from here? That is a difficult question to answer. The sky is definitely the limit as Argentina has proven to be a country with much success internationally in sports such as soccer (World Cup runner-up in 2014), basketball (several players playing in the NBA), rugby (ranked in the top 10 worldwide), tennis (Juan Martin del Potro won the US Open in 2009), golf (Ángel Cabrera won the Masters in 2009), and other sports.
Also, as reported in this article by John McKeon, there is a huge NFL fan base in Argentina, over 2 million strong. However, at the current time, American football is played on a very amateur level, with many players playing just for fun or as a hobby. Also, although plans are in place for organizing football for youth and those under 18, at this moment the sport is primarily for adults over the age of 18. There is definitely a big need for more teams which will thus provide for more competition and better play.
Similar to other places, there are huge obstacles to overcome for football to continue to increase both in number of players and quality of play. Equipment, especially helmets and shoulder pads are not available to be purchased and importing them is difficult on a logistical and financial level. The cost of buying and importing a new set of helmet and shoulder pads would be equivalent to a two months salary to many Argentines. Some players are able to get equipment by traveling out of the country or having someone else bring it for them.
Other places, such as Córdoba, have relied heavily on donations of used equipment. Another big obstacle is field use. Many football teams rely on rugby clubs to rent out spaces/fields, but many rugby clubs already have a full schedule preventing other sports to use the facilities, or they charge high prices that are not feasible. A final obstacle would be the lack of coaches who have the skills, desire, and time. American football will most definitely continue to grow in Argentina, but will it continue to grow at a slow rate or will there be huge explosion in number of teams, players and skill level? Time will tell.
The author would like to thank Franco Chiesa of Rosario and Gabriel Arnijas of Mendoza for their collaboration.
Related websites:
American football in Buenos Aires – www.faarg.com.ar
American football in Córdoba – www.acfa.com.ar
American football in Rosario – www.rfl.com.ar
For helping football grow through donations and other services. – www.footballforargentina.com