Now that I am back, I feel recharged and have a revitalized perspective about sports. Part of my trip to Argentina was to really find out about the sports culture there. To my amazement there were a great deal of passion very much like there is here in Bristol. When I arrived in the Buenos Aires suburb of Burzaco I knew that I was in for a beautiful family oriented sports environment. I was tired of hearing about steroids, salary caps, federal investigations, Spygate, and other topics that make professional sports a little unattached to the common Joe. Of course, this was the antithesis of what would go on if I went to a soccer pitch in Argentina. There I met with club vice-president Alejandro Carreto and immediately I felt part of the Pucará family. ¨Rugby is more than a sport, it is a family,¨ Carreto told me. Immediately I made the connection. The club for many in Argentina is an oasis from the socioeconomic problems that surround their everyday lives. Amid the meat ranchers intense battle with government over retentions and the increase in crime, coming to the club is a way to escape all of that. ¨Our mission here at Pucará is to make quality individuals and then make them athletes. This is something that we need to do here in Argentina in order to help us move forward.¨
The beautiful complex of the Pucará Club was full of history as its grounds were the venue for the gold medal baseball game between the US and Cuba in the inaugural Pan American Games that took place in Buenos Aires. Talking to some of the older memebers of the club, some remembered taking part in building that baseball diamond. Many others remember the freckas that ensued between the Cubans and American players after that game’s umpire blew a call that gave the Caribbean side the gold medal. That field is nowhere to be seen as it was replaced by a polo field which eventually became part of their field hockey complex. History was evident and the appreciation was vital in the existence of the club. Pucará is one of the most historic clubs in Buenos Aires. Various individuals that made the move to a virtually virgin territory back in 1943 and eventually became the cradle of rugby in Argentina. The club is self-sustained and everything from fields to the banquet halls were built by the club members. There are no big-time sponsors. There are no hefty salaries. These players wear these colors because they love to play. ¨This is what makes sport so pure,¨ says Alejandro as he looks out at the pitch and sees rugbiers ages five to 35 play with the ovalled ball. ¨Many of these little kids want to play for the first team. Many of them want to eventually be `Pumas´.¨
Courtesy Club Pucará
The purpose of the visit was so I could attend the 6th annual Copa Marcelo Pascual. This game is a tradition that sees both Pucará and San Cirano face off in preparation for the Buenos Aires rugby season. The game is a tribute to former Pucará and Argentine national team player Marcelo Pascual. Pascual was one of the most emblematic icons in the southern Buenos Aires club. Pascual scored one of the most important tries in Argentine national team (aka Los Pumas) history. His score in South Africa’s legendary score in Ellis Park in Johannesburg was what many saw as the beginning of the modern era of the sport in the South American country. Pascual was also one of the fundamental players in Pucará club history. His contributions to the club were not only on the pitch, but they were also off the field. ¨(Marcelo) epitomized the spirit of the sport as he gave without expecting anything in return. That was his legacy as a person and as a rugby man,¨ said Carreto. Sitting alongside dozens of friends of Marcelo as well as his family, I felt as if I knew the man. Everyone in that quincho, their beautiful banquet hall made out of brick and wood, felt Marcelo’s spirit. As I sat there, my story eventually took a turn as I wanted to encourage people to come and travel to this end of the world. At this point in the game I just wanted to talk about a was the place where both clubs ate the pregame meal consisting of pasta, meat, and scrumptious dessert.
Pascual scoring historic try at Ellis Park in Johannesburg in 1965
Photo Courtesy Club Pucará
Then the glasses began dinging around the quincho. Alejandro got up and took a deep breath. He took a second and then talked about his late great friend Marcelo. The first thing he mentioned was Marcelo’s last day. He was at the pitch with Alejandro watching some of the club’s youth players and Alejandro dropped him off at his home. A couple of hours later, he died. A combination of tears and laughter came from Alejandro as he reminisced about his best friend and teammate. ¨The best way to give tribute to a man like (Marcelo) is to celebrate his legacy,¨ said Carreto with his eyes watering. The moment was quite emotional. I never met the man and he touched my life at that moment. Pascual’s son then got up and spoke about what his father taught him about rugby. He turned to the adjacent table where the members of San Cirano sat and he explained to them that his father had a special place in his heart for that club. ¨Rugby not only taught me to do everything for teammates, but to do what I could for my opponents as well.¨ These were once again the universal lessons of camaraderie that we all learned amid the sweating, bleeding, and healing that rugbiers do as a group. It is not only chaos and violence, it is a foundation that allows a group of people to draw strength from each other in order to combat the adversities between the lines and in the game of life.
Pucará Come Onto The Pitch Courtesy Club Pucará
So off to the café we go and get a nice vodka on the rocks and headed out to the pitch where Pucará and San Cirano were ready to lock horns. The pitch was in pristine condition, and the rugbiers were ready for action. The crowd was in for some quality rugby on a crisp Fall Saturday in April. After two hours of intense, quality rugby the home side came out on top 49-17 and raised the Marcelo Pascual trophy. Then came the beautiful part. This is the part that makes the game so unique compared to others. After two 40-minute periods in which players from opposing teams beat each other’s brains out, they converge and share a few pints. The Tercer Tiempo (Third Period) or ¨Drink up¨is what is the most fun for any rugbier. On the pitch is where people see what limits they can achieve. Off the pitch is where they make friendships that last a lifetime. From the time the teams converge at the hall until late at night the players talk about all things rugby and talk about the game and other shared memories. Problems? There are no problems in the world while these players are together. From the look in everyone’s face, the winner and loser cannot be distinguished. Topics like politics and the economy are not permitted and friendship reigns supreme. Of course they know that there are problems in the world, but they know that as long as they have each other hope is ever-present. This is typical Argentine culture as they are warm and affectionate like very few cultures in the world. By this point the sun is setting and the idyllic scenery makes anyone’s heart fill with bliss. The players make me feel like I was tackling, scrumming, and rucking alongside them. There are various places in the world that many consider beautiful. Club Pucará is a microcosm of a society whose warmth and humaity makes their country more beautiful than it already is. The values they emphasize give a world like our more hope. More importantly, their environment and competitive spirit make it a great place to go and learn a new sport.
Special thanks to everyone at Club Pucará for their friendship and hospitality.
If you have any questions about Club Pucará or the sport of rugby, log on to the Argentine Rugby Union website at www.uar.com.ar. For any inquiries regarding travel to Argentina, log on to the Argentine Secretariat of Tourism website www.turismo.gov.ar/eng.
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