1899 River Plate Rugby Union Championship

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1899 RPRU
Lomas A.C., first Argentine champion
Countries ARG
Number of teams5
ChampionsLomas
Runners-upRosario A.C.
Relegated(None)
1900 →

The 1899 River Plate Rugby Union Championship was the inaugural season of the first rugby union club championship held in Argentina, organised by the "River Plate Rugby Union" (current Argentine Rugby Union). It was contested by the five founding members of the RPRU: Belgrano, Rosario, Lomas, Buenos Aires, and Flores.[1][2][3]

Uruguayan club Montevideo C.C. was invited to take part of the competition but they declined to participate due to the long travel time to Argentina by ship.[4][5]

In the inaugural game, Lomas defeated Buenos Aires by 11-4.[6] Lomas would be the first Argentine champion, winning the title at the end of the season.[7]

Teams[edit]

Club Headquarters Estab. Venue
Belgrano A.C. Belgrano 1896 Virrey del Pino
Buenos Aires F.C. Belgrano [n 1] 1886 (None) [n 2]
Flores A.C. Flores 1893 Flores Old Ground
Lomas A.C. Lomas de Zamora 1891 Lomas Field
Rosario A.C. Rosario 1867 Plaza Jewell
Notes
  1. ^ Established the Buenos Aires English High School, where famous football team Alumni would be found in 1898
  2. ^ The club did not have an own venue, playing their home games at Virrey del Pino and Lomas.

Results[edit]

List of matches played in the season. Rosario A.C. entered directly in the semifinals.[5][1]

First round[edit]

Chronicle of the match: Belgrano (3) v Lomas (0) on La Nación
The trophy awarded to Lomas, first champion
Date Home Res. Away Venue
11 May Lomas
11–4
 Buenos Aires Lomas Field
? Flores
0–16
 Belgrano Flores Old Ground
28 May Flores
0–24
 Buenos Aires Flores Old Ground
1 June Belgrano
3–24
 Buenos Aires Virrey del Pino
4 June Flores
5–15
 Lomas Lomas Field
11 June Lomas
8–11
 Buenos Aires Lomas Field
18 June Belgrano
17–3
 Flores Virrey del Pino
24 June Buenos Aires
14–0
 Flores Lomas Field
25 June Belgrano
3–0
 Lomas Virrey del Pino
2 July Buenos Aires
3–5
 Belgrano Lomas Field
9 July Flores
0–18
 Lomas Flores Old Ground
16 July Lomas
10–3
 Belgrano Lomas Field

Table standings[edit]

Team Pts. Pld. W D L Qualification
Belgrano 8 6 4 0 2 Advanced to semi-finals
Buenos Aires 8 6 4 0 2 Advanced to semi-finals
Lomas 8 6 4 0 2 Advanced to semi-finals
Flores 0 6 0 0 6 Eliminated

Semifinals[edit]

Date Home Res. Away Venue City
23 July Rosario
11–0
 Buenos Aires Plaza Jewell Rosario
Date Home Res. Away Venue City
23 July Lomas
16–0
 Belgrano Flores Old Ground Buenos Aires

The forwards of Buenos Aires were treated with little respect by their opponents, who, in the scrums and in the open game, were much superior. No game ever started in this sensational way, since 20 seconds into the kick-off, Rosario registered a try between the clubs, a feast that gave the visitors a great shock, of which, we are inclined to think that they never recovered. As usual, the visitors were entertained in the most hospitable way, and in spite of having been defeated, they enjoyed the trip. After the game, the two teams and some of their friends met the President Mr. Diego Le Bas, for the usual toasts. The best of the teams was the winner and the BAFC Captain, hit the nail on the head, when he proposed a toast in honor of the health of the Plaza captain saying: If Buenos Aires could not win, there was no other Club for which they preferred to be knocked out than Rosario's.[8]

— chronicle of the final on The River Plate Sports & Pastime newspaper

Final[edit]

The final was played at Flores Old Ground in Caballito, Buenos Aires. All proceeds were donated to the British Hospital of Buenos Aires.[9] In a match where both teams showed to be equalled in strength of play, Lomas won the game when they were awarded a free-kick that captain F.H. Jacobs scored for a 3–0 win.[8]

30 July 1899
Lomas A.C.3–0Rosario A.C.
Con: F.H. JacobsReport
Flores Old Ground, Buenos Aires
Lomas
Rosario

Aftermath[edit]

It was the first and only championship contested by Flores A.C.[10] A pioneer in several sports disciplines in Argentina, Flores A.C. had played its first match on 19 July 1896, against Buenos Aires F.C.[7] In 1907 Flores Athletic sold some of its facilities to neighbor Club Ferro Carril Oeste, for m$n 700. It is believed that the club was dissolved after this transaction.[11]

Before disappearing, Flores had also took part in the first Primera División championship in 1891. The polo team of the institution also won the fourth edition of Abierto de Polo in 1894.[12]

References[edit]

  1. ^ a b Fundación del River Plate Rugby Championship on Club Atlético del Rosario, 10 April 2019
  2. ^ 120 Aniversario UAR Archived 21 April 2019 at the Wayback Machine, p.6, Olé, 10 April 2019
  3. ^ Los clubes fundadores Archived 21 April 2019 at the Wayback Machine by Sebastián Perasso on Rugby Fun, 31 October 2013
  4. ^ Fundación del River Plate Rugby Union Championship (1899) on Atlético del Rosario, 18 April 2019
  5. ^ a b THE BIRTH OF CHAMPIONSHIP RUGBY IN ARGENTINA at World Rugby Museum, 4 Nov 2022
  6. ^ Ayala, Rubén. "El primer referee oficial de Argentina" (in Spanish). Lomas AC. Archived from the original on 19 February 2013. Retrieved 1 April 2021.
  7. ^ a b ""Historia del Club" – BACRC official site". Archived from the original on 13 September 2014. Retrieved 23 April 2019.
  8. ^ a b Chronicle of the match at The River Plate Sports & Pastime, 2 Aug 1899
  9. ^ Rugby - logros at Lomas AC
  10. ^ Fundadores by Jorge Búsico, 11 April 2018
  11. ^ Una investigación sobre la Historia del Flores Athletic Club, Rubén Ayala, C.E.H.R., Buenos Aires (1997)
  12. ^ 100 años de polo en la Argentina 1888–1988, Elsa Boglione, Buenos Aires, 1988

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