In August and September 2026, the Australia national rugby union team toured Argentina for a two-test series. The tour formed part of a broader restructuring of the Rugby Championship, the Southern Hemisphere men's rugby union competition organised by SANZAAR, which features the national teams of Argentina, Australia, New Zealand and South Africa. Under its new format, the competition, which was played annually from its 1996 edition, was dropped for 2026 and 2030 to make way for the 2026 and 2030 New Zealand/South Africa tours.
It was the first Australian tour of Argentina since 1997, and the first sole Australian tour of Argentina since 1987. The two teams contested the Puma Trophy, for which the hosts, Argentina, were the holders, having held the trophy since 2023. Following a 28-all draw in the second test, Australia reclaimed the trophy.
The initial fixtures were reported by La Nación in October 2025 before being confirmed by Rugby Australia in November.
Australia won the series 1–0 following a draw in the second test. It was their first series win in Argentina.
Background
Since the advent of professionalism in rugby union in the mid-1990s, the traditional touring practice among the Southern Hemisphere teams (Australia, New Zealand, and South Africa) was largely abandoned. Once a regular feature of the international calendar, reciprocal tours between these nations were replaced by the annual competition known as the Tri Nations Series. Under this format, each team faced the others twice per season, once at home and once away, with the side accumulating the most points crowned champions. In 2012, Argentina was admitted to the competition, with the competition formally rebranding to the Rugby Championship. Prior to Argentina's inclusion, the three founding teams had toured the country on multiple occasions (Australia and South Africa three times each, and New Zealand twice). However, following Argentina's integration into the expanded competition, the annual round-robin format became the primary means for Southern Hemisphere international fixtures. The Puma Trophy, a trophy contested between Argentina and Australia since 2000, became regularly up for grabs.
In 2025, the South African Rugby Union (SARU) and New Zealand Rugby (NZR), two participants of the Rugby Championship, confirmed that they would undertake traditional mutual tours for 2026 and 2030. This essentially axed the tournament for those years, although it was confirmed to still take place in the remaining years.
Previously held tournament obligations between Argentina and Australia, which involved one team hosting both tests against the other (colloquially known as "mini tours"), still stood, and were confirmed to go ahead for 2026. Australia's schedule for the year was released in late 2025, confirming the two-test tour which would now stand alone as its own series. It would be Australia's first tour of the country since 1997.
History Prior to the 2026 tour, Australia's record in Argentina since the latter's inclusion in the Rugby Championship stood at seven wins, three losses. This included 11 consecutive defences of the Puma Trophy. At the same time, Argentina had won three on Australian soil, lost nine, with two being drawn. Beginning in 2023, however, Argentina claimed the Puma Trophy for the first time, sealing a narrow victory on foreign soil with a decisive late try. The following year, they retained the Puma Trophy after defeating Australia in their second home test, securing their largest-ever victory over the Wallabies. Argentina prevailed by a margin of 40 points, amassing 67 points in total. And for a third successive year, Argentina retained the trophy again after winning one of two tests in Australia in the 2025 Rugby Championship.
Schedule Date Venue Home Score Away 29 August 21–27 5 September 28–28
Venues The two venues (Estadio Malvinas Argentinas, Estadio 23 de Agosto) were confirmed by the Argentine Rugby Union (UAR) in January 2026. While the two teams have never met in Jujuy, which itself has only hosted two international matches (2017, 2022), Argentina and Australia have met four times in Mendoza. The first was in the 2014 Rugby Championship, which saw the former achieve their first win over Australia in the competition, the most recent was in the 2022 edition.
Mendoza Estadio Malvinas Argentinas Capacity: 42,000 San Salvador de Jujuy Estadio 23 de Agosto Capacity: 25,000
Squads Caps and ages are as of the first match of the tour (29 August 2026).
Australia On 19 August 2026, Australia named a 34-man squad for their tour of Argentina.
On 28 August, ahead of the first test, Dylan Pietsch was returned home with injury, and was replaced by Jock Campbell.
Head Coach: Les Kiss
Argentina On 17 August, Argentina named a 36-player squad ahead of their two-test series against Australia.Argentina Undergo Roster Change for Wallabies
Head coach: Felipe Contepomi
Test series First test
FB 15Gerónimo Prisciantelli RW 14Rodrigo IsgróOC 13Lucio CintiIC 12Faustino Sánchez Valarolo LW 11Ignacio MendyFH 10Santiago CarrerasSH 9 Simón Benítez Cruz N8 8 Joaquín MoroBF 7 Benjamín Grondona OF 6 Pablo Matera (c)RL 5 Tomás Lavanini LL 4 Guido PettiTP 3 Francisco Moreno HK 2 Ignacio Ruiz LP 1 Boris Wenger Substitutions:HK 16Leonel Oviedo PR 17Rodrigo Martínez PR 18Tomas Rapetti LK 19Efraín Elías BR 20Juan Penoucos SH 21Agustín Moyano FH 22Nicolás Roger CE 23Matías Moroni Coach:Felipe Contepomi FB 15Tom WrightRW 14Max JorgensenOC 13Isaac Henry IC 12Hunter PaisamiLW 11Harry Potter FH 10Carter Gordon SH 9 Ryan Lonergan N8 8 Rob Valetini OF 7 Fraser McReightBF 6 Tom HooperRL 5 Jeremy WilliamsLL 4 Josh Canham TP 3 Allan Alaalatoa (c) HK 2 Brandon Paenga-Amosa LP 1 Isaac Aedo Kailea Substitutions:HK 16Billy Pollard PR 17Angus Bell PR 18Massimo de Lutiis LK 19Lachlan Shaw BR 20Charlie Cale SH 21Tate McDermott FH 22Ben Donaldson CE 23Joseph-Aukuso Sua'ali'i Coach:Les Kiss Player of the Match: Fraser McReight (Australia)
Assistant referees: James Doleman (New Zealand) Gianluca Gnecchi (Italy) Television match official: Richard Kelly (New Zealand) Foul play review officer: Glenn Newman (New Zealand)
Second test
FB 15Santiago Carreras RW 14Rodrigo IsgróOC 13Lucio Cinti IC 12Faustino Sánchez ValaroloLW 11Ignacio Mendy FH 10Nicolás RogerSH 9 Simón Benítez Cruz N8 8 Joaquín Moro BF 7 Guido Petti OF 6 Pablo Matera (c)RL 5 Franco Molina LL 4 Efraín ElíasTP 3 Pedro Delgado HK 2 Ignacio Ruiz LP 1 Boris Wenger Substitutions:HK 16Leonel Oviedo PR 17Mayco Vivas PR 18Francisco Moreno LK 19Tomás Lavanini BR 20Juan Martín Scelzo BR 21Facundo Cardozo SH 22Gonzalo Bertranou WG 23Mateo Soler Coach:Felipe Contepomi FB 15Tom WrightRW 14Max JorgensenOC 13Joseph-Aukuso Sua'ali'iIC 12Len IkitauLW 11Filipo Daugunu FH 10Ben Donaldson SH 9 Ryan LonerganN8 8 Harry Wilson (c)OF 7 Fraser McReightBF 6 Rob Valetini RL 5 Jeremy Williams LL 4 Josh CanhamTP 3 Taniela Tupou HK 2 Billy Pollard LP 1 Angus Bell Substitutions:HK 16Josh Nasser PR 17Aidan Ross PR 18Massimo de Lutiis LK 19Lukhan Salakaia-Loto BR 20Charlie Cale SH 21Kalani Thomas FH 22Carter Gordon CE 23Isaac Henry Coach:Les Kiss Assistant referees: Ben O'Keeffe (New Zealand) Gianluca Gnecchi (Italy) Television match official: Glenn Newman (New Zealand) Foul play review officer: Richard Kelly (New Zealand) Notes: Facundo Cardozo and Mateo Soler (both Argentina) made their international test debuts. Tom Wright (Australia) earned his 50th test cap. With this draw, Australia won the series 1–0, securing their first series victory in Argentina. Australia reclaimed the Puma Trophy.
Statistics
Points scorers Player Team 1 Santiago Carreras 14 2 Ryan Lonergan 13 3 Pablo Matera 10 Fraser McReight 5 Carter Gordon 5 Tom Hooper Max Jorgensen Ignacio Mendy Joaquín Moro Brandon Paenga-Amosa Penalty try Gerónimo Prisciantelli Ignacio Ruiz Boris Wenger Harry Wilson
Try scorers Player Team 1 Pablo Matera 2 Fraser McReight 3 Carter Gordon 1 Tom Hooper Max Jorgensen Ignacio Mendy Joaquín Moro Brandon Paenga-Amosa Penalty try Gerónimo Prisciantelli Ignacio Ruiz Boris Wenger Harry Wilson
See also History of rugby union matches between Argentina and Australia 2026 New Zealand tour of South Africa 2026 men's rugby union internationals
Notes
References