BUENOS AIRES Dec 21 (Reuters) – Pumas coach Santiago “Tati”
Phelan, who steered Argentina to the 2011 Rugby World Cup
quarter-finals, has been handed a new two-year contract.
“Tati’s appointment as trainer confirms our interest in
ratifying his tenure, which was extremely satisfactory from
various points of view,” Argentine Rugby Union (UAR) president
Luis Castillo said.
“Now is the time to continue working to improve day by day
and face a new calendar with a lot of activity,” he said in a
statement issued by the UAR on Wednesday.
The Pumas, third at the 2007 World Cup in France, went out
in the quarter-finals to hosts and eventual champions New
Zealand at the tournament.
Ranked seventh in the world, they will make their debut in a
major annual competition next year when they take part in the
new southern hemisphere championship with Australia, New Zealand
and South Africa which is replacing the Tri-Nations.
Never before have they faced a year with 12 test matches,
having had to sit by and watch the Tri-Nations and Six Nations
from afar and make do with only six matches, three in each of
the year’s two test windows.
Fellow former Pumas Fabian Turnes, Mauricio Reggiardo and
Marti Gaitan will continue as Phelan’s coaching staff.
Daniel Hourcade was confirmed as coach of the Pampas XV, a
reserve side that won South Africa’s Vodacom Cup unbeaten this
year.
(Reporting by Rex Gowar; editing by Nick Mulvenney; to query
or comment on this story email
sportsfeedback@thomsonreuters.com)
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