1899 River Plate Rugby Union Championship

The 1899 River Plate Rugby Union Championship was the inaugural season of the first rugby union club championship held in Argentina, organised by the "River Plate Rugby Union" (current Argentine Rugby Union). It was contested by the five founding members of the RPRU: Belgrano, Rosario, Lomas, Buenos Aires, and Flores.[1][2][3]

1899 RPRU
Lomas A.C., first Argentine champion
Countries ARG
Number of teams5
ChampionsLomas
Runners-upRosario A.C.
Relegated(None)

Uruguayan club Montevideo C.C. was invited to take part of the competition but they declined to participate due to the long travel time to Argentina by ship.[4]

In the inaugural game, Lomas defeated Buenos Aires by 11-4.[5] Lomas would be the first Argentine champion, winning the title at the end of the season.[6]

Teams
Club City of origin Estab. Venue
Belgrano A.C.Belgrano1896Belgrano
Buenos Aires F.C.Belgrano [n 1]1886(None) [n 2]
Flores A.C.Flores1893Flores Old Ground
Lomas A.C.Lomas de Zamora1891Lomas
Rosario A.C.Rosario1867Plaza Jewell
Notes
  1. Established the Buenos Aires English High School, where famous football team Alumni would be found in 1898
  2. Played their home games at Lomas.

Results

List of matches played in the season. Some results are missed (w=indicates win, l=indicates lost). Rosario A.C. entered directly in the semifinals.[1]

First round
Chronicle of the match Lomas (3) v Belgrano (0) on La Nación
The trophy awarded to Lomas, first champion
Date Home Res. Away Venue
21 MayLomasw–lBelgranoLomas
28 MayBuenos Aires24–0FloresFlores
1 JuneBuenos Aires3–5BelgranoBelgrano
4 JuneFloresl–wLomasLomas
11 JuneBuenos Aires24–3LomasLomas
18 JuneFloresl–wBelgranoBelgrano
24 JuneBuenos Airesw–lFloresLomas
25 JuneBelgrano3–0LomasBelgrano
2 JulyBuenos Aires3–0BelgranoLomas
9 JulyFloresl–wLomasFlores

Semifinals
Date Home Res. Away Venue City
23 JulyRosario
11–0
Buenos AiresPlaza JewellRosario
Date Home Res. Away Venue City
23 JulyLomas
16–0
BelgranoFlores Old GroundBuenos Aires

The forwards of Buenos Aires were treated with little respect by their opponents, who, in the scrums and in the open game, were much superior. No game ever started in this sensational way, since 20 seconds into the kick-off, Rosario registered a try between the clubs, a feast that gave the visitors a great shock, of which, we are inclined to think that they never recovered. As usual, the visitors were entertained in the most hospitable way, and in spite of having been defeated, they enjoyed the trip. After the game, the two teams and some of their friends met the President Mr. Diego Le Bas, for the usual toasts. The best of the teams was the winner and the BAFC Captain, hit the nail on the head, when he proposed a toast in honor of the health of the Plaza captain saying: If Buenos Aires could not win, there was no other Club for which they preferred to be knocked out than Rosario's.[7]

— chronicle of the final on The River Plate Sports & Pastime newspaper

Final

The final was played at Flores Old Ground in Caballito, Buenos Aires. All proceeds were donated to the British Hospital of Buenos Aires.[8] In a match where both teams showed to be equalled in strength of play, Lomas won the game when they were awarded a free-kick that captain F.H. Jacobs scored for a 3–0 win.[7]

30 July 1899
Lomas A.C.3–0Rosario A.C.
Con: F.H. JacobsReport
Flores Old Ground, Buenos Aires
Lomas
Rosario

Aftermath

It was the first and only championship contested by Flores A.C.[9] A pioneer in several sports disciplines in Argentina, Flores A.C. had played its first match on 19 July 1896, against Buenos Aires F.C.[6] In 1907 Flores Athletic sold some of its facilities to neighbor Club Ferro Carril Oeste, for m$n 700. It is believed that the club was dissolved after this transaction.[10]

Before disappearing, Flores had also took part in the first Primera División championship in 1891. The polo team of the institution also won the fourth edition of Abierto de Polo in 1894.[11]

References
  1. Fundación del River Plate Rugby Championship on Club Atlético del Rosario, 10 April 2019
  2. 120 Aniversario UAR Archived 21 April 2019 at the Wayback Machine, p.6, Olé, 10 April 2019
  3. Los clubes fundadores Archived 21 April 2019 at the Wayback Machine by Sebastián Perasso on Rugby Fun, 31 October 2013
  4. Fundación del River Plate Rugby Union Championship (1899) on Atlético del Rosario, 18 April 2019
  5. Ayala, Rubén. "El primer referee oficial de Argentina" (in Spanish). Lomas AC. Archived from the original on 19 February 2013. Retrieved 1 April 2021.
  6. ""Historia del Club" – BACRC official site". Archived from the original on 13 September 2014. Retrieved 23 April 2019.
  7. Chronicle of the match at The River Plate Sports & Pastime, 2 Aug 1899
  8. Rugby - logros at Lomas AC
  9. Fundadores by Jorge Búsico, 11 April 2018
  10. Una investigación sobre la Historia del Flores Athletic Club, Rubén Ayala, C.E.H.R., Buenos Aires (1997)
  11. 100 años de polo en la Argentina 1888–1988, Elsa Boglione, Buenos Aires, 1988

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