1899 River Plate Rugby Union Championship
Rugby union club championship held in Argentina
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The 1899 River Plate Rugby Union championship was the inaugural season of the RPRU championship, the first rugby union club competition 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 championship | |
|---|---|
Lomas A.C., champions | |
| Countries |  Argentina |
| Number of teams | 5 |
| Champions | Lomas |
| Runners-up | Rosario 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][5]
In the inaugural game, Lomas defeated Buenos Aires by 11-4.[6] Lomas would be the first Argentine champion, winning the title at the end of the season.[7]
Teams
| Club | Headquarters | Estab. | Venue |
|---|---|---|---|
| Belgrano A.C. | Belgrano | 1896 | Virrey del Pino |
| Buenos Aires F.C. | Belgrano [n 1] | 1886 | (None) [n 2] |
| Flores A.C. | Flores | 1893 | Flores Old Ground |
| Lomas A.C. | Lomas de Zamora | 1891 | Lomas Field |
| Rosario A.C. | Rosario | 1867 | Plaza Jewell |
- Notes
- Established the Buenos Aires English High School, where famous football team Alumni would be found in 1898
- The club did not have an own venue, playing their home games at Virrey del Pino and Lomas.
Results
List of matches played in the season. Rosario A.C. entered directly in the semifinals.[5][1]
First round
| Date | Home | Res. | Away | Venue |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 11 May | Lomas | 11â4 | Buenos Aires | Lomas Field |
| ? | Flores | 0â16 | Belgrano | Flores Old Ground |
| 28 May | Flores | 0â24 | Buenos Aires | Flores Old Ground |
| 1 June | Belgrano | 3â24 | Buenos Aires | Virrey del Pino |
| 4 June | Flores | 5â15 | Lomas | Lomas Field |
| 11 June | Lomas | 8â11 | Buenos Aires | Lomas Field |
| 18 June | Belgrano | 17â3 | Flores | Virrey del Pino |
| 24 June | Buenos Aires | 14â0 | Flores | Lomas Field |
| 25 June | Belgrano | 3â0 | Lomas | Virrey del Pino |
| 2 July | Buenos Aires | 3â5 | Belgrano | Lomas Field |
| 9 July | Flores | 0â18 | Lomas | Flores Old Ground |
| 16 July | Lomas | 10â3 | Belgrano | Lomas Field |
Table standings
| Team | Pts. | Pld. | W | D | L | Qualification |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Belgrano | 8 | 6 | 4 | 0 | 2 | Advanced to semi-finals |
| Buenos Aires | 8 | 6 | 4 | 0 | 2 | Advanced to semi-finals |
| Lomas | 8 | 6 | 4 | 0 | 2 | Advanced to semi-finals |
| Flores | 0 | 6 | 0 | 0 | 6 | Eliminated |
Semifinals
| Date | Home | Res. | Away | Venue | City |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 23 July | Rosario | 11â0 | Buenos Aires | Plaza Jewell | Rosario |
| Date | Home | Res. | Away | Venue | City |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 23 July | Lomas | 16â0 | Belgrano | Flores Old Ground | Buenos 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.[8]
ââchronicle 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.[9] 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 3â0 win.[8]
      Lomas
|    Rosario
|
|
|
Aftermath
It was the first and only championship contested by Flores A.C.[10] 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.[7] 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.[11]
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.[12]