Langbahn Team – Weltmeisterschaft

History of rugby union matches between Argentina and New Zealand

Match at the 2011 Rugby World Cup
Argentine players celebrating their win vs New Zealand on 10 August 2024.

Argentina and New Zealand have been playing each other in the sport of Rugby Union since 1976.

New Zealand first sent a team, a New Zealand XV rather than the top All Blacks team, to play against Argentina (Los Pumas) on 30 October 1976. Argentina credited its own players with test match caps for both games on that tour, and for two games against the New Zealand XV when Argentina toured New Zealand in 1979. The New Zealand XV won all these matches.

The first Test Match that was recognised by both national unions was held on 26 October 1985, when the top level All Blacks toured Argentina.

In full Tests, the teams have met 39 times. The All Blacks have won 35 times, with the Pumas winning 3 and 1 match drawn. Argentina claimed their first ever win over the All Blacks with a 25–15 victory in Sydney Australia on 14 November 2020.[1] These games have included four meetings at the Rugby World Cup, the teams having been in the same pool at the inaugural tournament in 1987, then at the quarter-finals in 2011, then again in the pool stage in 2015, and then in the semi-final in 2023.

Since 2012, the teams have met twice annually in The Rugby Championship (formerly known as the Tri Nations before Argentina's entry in the 2012 Tournament as the fourth participating team). The 2015, 2019, and 2023 Rugby Championships were exceptions, with each side playing the other only once due to those competitions shortly preceding the same years' editions of the Rugby World Cup.

Summary

Note: Summary below does not include the four Los Pumas versus New Zealand XV matches from 1976 to 1979, which only Argentina recognizes as tests.

Overall

Details Played Won by
Argentina
Won by
New Zealand
Drawn Argentina points New Zealand points
In Argentina 14 0 13 1 215 456
In New Zealand 19 2 17 0 279 852
Neutral venue 6 1 5 0 60 198
Overall 39 3 35 1 554 1,506

Records

Note: Date shown in brackets indicates when the record was or last set.

Record Argentina New Zealand
Longest winning streak 1 (14–28 November 2020; 27 August – 3 September 2022) 27 (1 June 1987 – 14 November 2020)
Largest points for
Home 21 (2 November 1985) 93 (21 June 1997)
Away 38 (10 August 2024) 54 (29 September 2012)
Largest winning margin
Home 85 (21 June 1997)
Away 10 (14 November 2020) 39 (29 September 2012; 12 September 2021)

Results

No. Date Venue Score Winner Competition
1 26 October 1985 Ferro Carril Oeste, Buenos Aires 20–33  New Zealand 1985 New Zealand tour of Argentina
2 2 November 1985 Ferro Carril Oeste, Buenos Aires 21–21 draw
3 1 June 1987 Athletic Park, Wellington 46–15  New Zealand 1987 Rugby World Cup
4 15 July 1989 Carisbrook, Dunedin 60–9  New Zealand 1989 Argentina tour of New Zealand
5 29 July 1989 Athletic Park, Wellington 49–12  New Zealand
6 6 July 1991 José Amalfitani Stadium, Buenos Aires 14–28  New Zealand 1991 New Zealand tour of Argentina
7 13 July 1991 José Amalfitani Stadium, Buenos Aires 6–36  New Zealand
8 21 June 1997 Athletic Park, Wellington 93–8  New Zealand 1997 Argentina tour of New Zealand
9 28 June 1997 Rugby Park, Hamilton 62–10  New Zealand
10 23 June 2001 Lancaster Park, Christchurch 67–19  New Zealand 2001 Argentina tour of Argentina
11 1 December 2001 Estadio Monumental, Buenos Aires 20–24  New Zealand 2004 New Zealand tour of Argentina, Ireland and Scotland
12 26 June 2004 Waikato Stadium, Hamilton 41–7  New Zealand 2004 Argentina tour of New Zealand
13 24 June 2006 José Amalfitani Stadium, Buenos Aires 19–25  New Zealand 2006 New Zealand tour of Argentina
14 9 October 2011 Eden Park, Auckland 33–10  New Zealand 2011 Rugby World Cup
15 8 September 2012 Wellington Regional Stadium, Wellington 21–5  New Zealand 2012 Rugby Championship
16 29 September 2012 Estadio Ciudad de La Plata, La Plata 15–54  New Zealand
17 7 September 2013 Waikato Stadium, Hamilton 28–13  New Zealand 2013 Rugby Championship
18 28 September 2013 Estadio Ciudad de La Plata, La Plata 15–33  New Zealand
19 6 September 2014 McLean Park, Napier 28–9  New Zealand 2014 Rugby Championship
20 27 September 2014 Estadio Ciudad de La Plata, La Plata 13–34  New Zealand
21 17 July 2015 Rugby League Park, Christchurch 39–18  New Zealand 2015 Rugby Championship
22 20 September 2015 Wembley Stadium, London (England) 26–16  New Zealand 2015 Rugby World Cup
23 10 September 2016 Waikato Stadium, Hamilton 57–22  New Zealand 2016 Rugby Championship
24 1 October 2016 José Amalfitani Stadium, Buenos Aires 17–36  New Zealand
25 9 September 2017 Yarrow Stadium, New Plymouth 39–22  New Zealand 2017 Rugby Championship
26 30 September 2017 José Amalfitani Stadium, Buenos Aires 10–36  New Zealand
27 8 September 2018 Trafalgar Park, Nelson 46–24  New Zealand 2018 Rugby Championship
28 29 September 2018 José Amalfitani Stadium, Buenos Aires 17–35  New Zealand
29 20 July 2019 José Amalfitani Stadium, Buenos Aires 16–20  New Zealand 2019 Rugby Championship
30 14 November 2020 Western Sydney Stadium, Sydney (Australia) 15–25  Argentina 2020 Tri Nations Series
31 28 November 2020 Newcastle Int. Sports Centre, Newcastle (Australia) 0–38  New Zealand
32 11 September 2021 Robina Stadium, Gold Coast (Australia) 0–39  New Zealand 2021 Rugby Championship
33 18 September 2021 Lang Park, Brisbane (Australia) 36–13  New Zealand
34 27 August 2022 Rugby League Park, Christchurch 18–25  Argentina 2022 Rugby Championship
35 3 September 2022 Waikato Stadium, Hamilton 53–3  New Zealand
36 8 July 2023 Estadio Malvinas Argentinas, Mendoza 12–41  New Zealand 2023 Rugby Championship
37 20 October 2023 Stade de France, Saint-Denis (France) 6–44  New Zealand 2023 Rugby World Cup
38 10 August 2024 Wellington Regional Stadium, Wellington 30–38  Argentina 2024 Rugby Championship
39 17 August 2024 Eden Park, Auckland 42–10  New Zealand

XV Results

Below is a list of matches that Argentina has awarded matches test match status by virtue of awarding caps, but New Zealand did not award caps, as the governing New Zealand Rugby Union had sent a New Zealand XV rather than the top All Blacks team.

Not classed as a full international by New Zealand, who fielded a New Zealand XV rather than the All Blacks:

Date Venue Score Winner Comments
30 October 1976 Estadio Ricardo Etcheverry, Buenos Aires 9–21  New Zealand XV 1976 New Zealand XV tour of South America
6 November 1976 Estadio Ricardo Etcheverry, Buenos Aires 6–26  New Zealand XV
8 September 1979 Carisbrook, Dunedin 18–9  New Zealand XV 1979 Argentina tour of New Zealand
15 September 1979 Athletic Park, Wellington 15–6  New Zealand XV

List of series

Played Won by
Argentina
Won by
New Zealand
Drawn
6 0 4 2
Year Argentina Wins New Zealand Wins Series winner
1985 0 1  New Zealand
1989 0 2  New Zealand
1991 0 2  New Zealand
1997 0 2  New Zealand
2022 1 1 Draw
2024 1 1 Draw

References