Why Is Argentina Rugby Called ‘Los Pumas’? The Surprising True Story
Why is Argentina rugby called Los Pumas? It’s one of the sport’s most surprising stories — and it starts with a journalist who couldn’t tell a jaguar from a puma.
If you’ve ever watched Argentina play rugby, you’ve heard the crowd chant for “Los Pumas.” But here’s the thing: there are no pumas in Argentina.
So how did one of rugby’s most iconic nicknames come from an animal that doesn’t even live in the country? The answer involves a case of mistaken identity, a 1965 tour to South Africa, and a journalist who confused two very different big cats.
The 1965 Tour That Started It All
The story begins in South Africa. Argentina’s national rugby team toured the country in 1965 — one of their earliest major international tours. A South African journalist named Carl Kohler was tasked with drawing the team’s crest for the match programme.
The Argentine badge featured a yaguareté — the jaguar, Argentina’s actual big cat, native to the northeastern jungles of Misiones and Corrientes. But Kohler either didn’t know the difference or didn’t have a reference, and he drew a puma instead.
The name stuck. South African fans and press started calling the Argentines “Los Pumas,” and the Argentines — rather than correcting the mistake — embraced it.
The Yaguareté vs. The Puma
To understand the mix-up, it helps to know what these animals actually are.
The yaguareté (Panthera onca) is a jaguar — a powerful, spotted big cat and the largest predator in the Americas. It’s deeply embedded in Argentine and South American indigenous culture.
The puma (Puma concolor), also called a mountain lion or cougar, is a different species entirely. While pumas do exist in parts of South America, they’re not native to the Argentine heartland.
The two animals look nothing alike up close. But on a small badge on a match programme, apparently they did.
A Nickname That Grew Into an Identity
What started as a journalist’s error became one of rugby’s most recognised national identities. Los Pumas have worn the name proudly ever since — and today it carries serious weight.
Argentina is currently ranked among the top five rugby nations in the world. They’ve reached the Rugby World Cup semi-finals twice (2007 in France, where they finished third, and again in 2023). They play in the Rugby Championship alongside New Zealand, South Africa, and Australia — the toughest rugby competition on the planet.
The puma — accidental mascot or not — has come to represent Argentine rugby’s fighting spirit, physicality, and the underdog story that has made them one of the most compelling teams in the global game.
Argentina’s Rugby Rise
The nickname may have been accidental, but Argentina’s rise in world rugby has been anything but. Los Pumas spent decades as perennial underdogs, largely excluded from the major rugby competitions that New Zealand, South Africa, Australia, and the northern hemisphere nations took for granted.
That changed when Argentina joined the Rugby Championship in 2012, finally getting regular top-level competition. The results have been remarkable. Los Pumas have beaten the All Blacks, the Springboks, and the Wallabies — feats that were once unthinkable. Their style of play — physical, passionate, technically disciplined — reflects the culture of Argentine club rugby, one of the most deeply rooted club structures outside of the traditional rugby nations.
Nations Championship 2026
Los Pumas are currently competing in the Nations Championship 2026, the expanded annual competition that now includes the top northern and southern hemisphere nations.
Their opening match on July 4 saw them fall 47–38 to Scotland in a high-scoring encounter — a result that stung, but showed Argentina’s attacking rugby is very much alive. Next up: Wales on July 11, then England on July 18.
The puma may have been a mistake. But Los Pumas? They’re very much the real thing.