When Argentina join the Rugby power houses of Australia, South Africa and New Zealand in the newly named Rugby Championship this year they will be embarking on the latest stage in their rise to Rugby’s top table.

Argentina’s inclusion in the tournament marks the end of the historic Tri Nations and a new stage for Southern hemisphere Rugby too.

The Argentina rugby team has announced its location for the home matches that will be played at Mendoza, La Plata and Rosario. The first match that the Argentina rugby team will be playing is against South Africa.

The rugby Championship is going to be quite a hectic schedule for the Argentineans as they will be facing tough competition right from the start with New Zealand, the current rugby champions in the next home game against Argentina in the Rugby Championship.

The 2007 World Cup saw Argentina announce themselves as an established force on the world rugby stage. Their impressive display, seeing them reach the semi finals before being defeated by eventual champions South Africa made the world sit up and pay attention. 4 years on, their World Cup was less spectacular, but equally as telling of their rise in the Rugby world and they will next year embark on their first Four Nations campaign, joining the Southern Hemisphere giants of Australia, New Zealand and South Africa in a revamp of the Tri Nations.

Juan Martin Hernandez is the major name out of the Argentina squad for the World Cup according to the Free Rugby Bet website. Hernandez, a star of the Pumas' outstanding 2007 World Cup campaign, is currently sidelined with a knee ligament injury he suffered on domestic duty with Racing Metro in March and the 28-year-old is set to remain with his Top 14 employers to continue his rehabilitation instead of joining the rest of Santiago Phelan's squad in Florida next month.

Argentina have been defeated by New Zealand in the London Sevens. South Africa came from 14-0 down to see off Fiji to win the London trophy for the first time since 2005.

Earlier New Zealand's 31-14 quarter-final win over Argentina saw them crowned champions with a round to spare ahead of next week's 2011 series finale in Edinburgh.

South Africa's 24 points for winning in London means they are third in the standings with 116 points, behind England (121) and ahead of Samoa (112) and Fiji (110).

The Argentina rugby team is set to face Scotland at Wellington after it was revealed today by top officials. The teams will now meet in the New Zealand capital city on 25 September, while England will play their pool matches against Argentina (10 September) and Georgia (18 September) in Dunedin, at the city's new 30,000-seat stadium

Argentinian centre Juan Del Val has signed new deal with Canterbury Rugby Club. The 28-year-old centre has played top-flight club rugby in Argentina for the past six seasons and represented the Buenos Aires regional side at under-19 and under-23 level.

The club are hoping to include Del Val in the squad which travels to meet Southend in National 2 South on Saturday, but are awaiting international clearance from the Argentina Rugby Union.

A flawless display by Jonathan Sexton eased Ireland to an end-of-year 29-9 win over an off-colour Argentina at Aviva Stadium in Dublin on Sunday in their final autumn test.

The Ireland fly-half got the better of his former Leinster mentor, Argentina's Felipe Contepomi, kicking 17 points as the hosts got the better of the side that has caused them enormous problems in the past including two demoralising defeats in the 1999 and 2007 World Cups.

The hosts also scored the only two tries of the game through Stephen Ferris and Gordon D'Arcy.

Inspired by the boot of Morgan Parra, France took revenge for a 41-13 Buenos Aires summer thrashing by edging out Argentina 15-9 in Saturday's one-off autumn Test at the Stade de la Mosson in Montpellier. Argentina wenr't good enough to even win some Wales Rugby Tickets!

With heavy rain expected in Montpellier on Saturday, France are set for a tough evening if they are to improve their poor record against Argentina. Having been convincingly beaten by England (I even had some England Rugby Tickets!), Argentina need something new.

A quick glance at past results reveals that France have won just twice in nine starts against the Pumas since 2002.