History of rugby union matches between Argentina and New Zealand


New Zealand first sent a team, a New Zealand XV rather than the top All Blacks, to play against Argentina on 30 October 1976. Argentina credited its own players with test match caps for both games on that tour, and for two games against the New Zealand XV when Argentina toured New Zealand in 1979. New Zealand XV won all these matches.
The first Test match recognised as such by both national unions was held on 26 October 1985, when the top level All Blacks toured Argentina.
In full Tests the teams have met 27 times, with the All Blacks winning 26 and one drawn. This includes three meetings at the Rugby World Cup, having been in the same pool at the inaugural tournament in 1987, then at the quarterfinals in 2011 and then again in the pool stage in 2015.
Since 2012, the teams have met twice annually in The Rugby Championship, formerly known as the Tri Nations before Argentina's entry in that year, except in 2015. Due to that year's Rugby World Cup, an abbreviated edition of The Rugby Championship was held with each side playing the others only once.

Summary

Note: Summary below does not include the four Los Pumas versus New Zealand XV matches from 1976 to 1979, which only Argentina recognizes as tests.

Overall

Records

Note: Date shown in brackets indicates when the record was or last set.

Results

XV Results

Below is a list of matches that Argentina has awarded matches test match status by virtue of awarding caps, but New Zealand did not award caps, as the governing New Zealand Rugby Union had sent a New Zealand XV rather than the top All Blacks team.
DateVenueScoreWinnerComments
30 October 1976Estadio Ricardo Etcheverry, Buenos Aires9 - 21Not classed as a full international by New Zealand, who fielded a New Zealand XV rather than the All Blacks
6 November 1976Estadio Ricardo Etcheverry, Buenos Aires6 - 26Not classed as a full international by New Zealand, who fielded a New Zealand XV rather than the All Blacks
8 September 1979Carisbrook, Dunedin18 - 9Not classed as a full international by New Zealand, who fielded a New Zealand XV rather than the All Blacks
15 September 1979Athletic Park, Wellington15 - 6Not classed as a full international by New Zealand, who fielded a New Zealand XV rather than the All Blacks

List of series

YearArgentina WinsNew Zealand WinsSeries winner
1985½1½
198902
199102
199702