The Torneo del Interior A is an annual rugby union competition in Argentina. The competition involves clubs from all provincial unions outside Buenos Aires. Teams qualify from different tournaments along the provinces of Argentina, such as Litoral, Noroeste, Córdoba, Nordeste, Pampeano, Oeste and Patagónico.

Torneo del Interior
Current season, competition or edition:
Current sports event 2021
SportRugby union
Founded1998; 26 years ago (1998)
No. of teams16
Country Argentina
ConfederationUAR
Most recent
champion(s)
Duendes
(2022)
Most titlesDuendes (5 titles)
TV partner(s)ESPN
Level on pyramid1
Related
competitions
URBA Top 12
Official websiteuar.com.ar/interior

There are also two lower divisions of Torneo del Interior, "Interior B" and "Interior C", with a similar format.

Overview

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The original tournament was held from 1998 to 2004, being re-launched in 2009, in an effort to bring provincial clubs to the same level as the teams from Buenos Aires.[1]

Buenos Aires clubs do not participate in this competition so they take part in the Top 12 organised by the URBA. From 2013 on, the top nine teams from the Torneo del Interior qualify for the Nacional de Clubes, where they compete with the top seven teams from the Torneo de la URBA.[2]

Format

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The "Torneo del Interior A" is contested by 16 clubs from the best placed teams of predetermined seven regional tournaments. Teams are divided into four zones, playing each other in a double round-robin tournament. Teams with the most points in each zone advance to quarter finals, concluding with semi-finals and a final.[3]

In 2018, Uruguayan club Montevideo Cricket took part of the tournament by invitation.[4]

Championships

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Below is the list of finals contested from 1998 to date:[5]

Finals

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Ed. Season Champion Score Runner-up
1
1998
Jockey Club (C) (1)
25–13
Marista
2
1999
Jockey Club (C) (2)
26–13
Duendes
3
2000
Jockey Club (R) (1)
26–22
Tala
4
2001
La Tablada (1)
21–16
Cardenales
5
2002
Jockey Club (R) (2)
32–28
Universitario (T)
6
2003
Duendes (1)
22–20
Cardenales
7
2004
Tala (1)
35–26
Los Tarcos
2005–2008
(Not held)
8
2009
Duendes (2)
35–21
Universitario (T)
9
2010
La Tablada (2)
25–18
Cardenales
10
2011
La Tablada (3)
37–27
Duendes
11
2012
Duendes (3)
40–21
Cardenales
12
2013
Duendes (4)
36–6
Tala
13
2014
Urú Curé (1)
25–11
Los Tordos
14
2015
Cardenales (1)
26–16
Los Tordos
15
2016
Los Tarcos (1)
25–20
Jockey Club (R)
16
2017
La Tablada (4)
25–22
Gimnasia y Esgrima (R)
17
2018
CURNE [n 1](1)
20–14
Huirapuca
18
2019
Gimnasia y Esgrima (R) (1)
30–20
Marista
2020–21
(Not held due to Covid-19 pandemic)
19
2022
Duendes (5)
38–12
Huirapuca
20
2023
Universitario (T) (1)
25-21
Córdoba AC
Notes
  1. ^ Acronym for "Club Universitario de Rugby del Nordeste", based in Chaco Province.

Titles by team

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Team Titles Years won
Duendes
5
2003, 2009, 2012, 2013, 2022
La Tablada
4
2001, 2010, 2011, 2017
Jockey Club Córdoba
2
1998, 1999
Jockey Club Rosario
2
2000, 2002
Tala
1
2004
Urú Curé
1
2014
Cardenales
1
2015
Los Tarcos
1
2016
CURNE
1
2018
Gimnasia y Esgrima (R)
1
2019
Universitario (T)
1
2023

References

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