2024 Nacional de Clubes

The 2024 Torneo Nacional de Clubes (named "Nacional de Clubes Copa Visa Macro" for sponsorship reasons)^[1] the 27th. edition of Nacional de Clubes, a rugby union competition in Argentina organised by the Argentine Rugby Union (UAR). The final was held in Estadio Héctor Cabrera (mostly known as La Caldera del Parque)^[2], home venue of Tucumán LT, located in the city of San Miguel de Tucumán, on 16 November 2024.^[3]

Just as it has been every year since 2022,^[4], the competition is contested by two teams (champions of URBA Top 12 and Torneo del Interior), which play a single superfinal match.^[5]

The match was contested by Tucumán Lawn Tennis (champion of 2024 Torneo del Interior,^[6] which played their first final) and Alumni (champions of 2024 URBA Top 12, which played their 4th. final).

Tucumán LT, with fly-half Nicolás Sánchez (who had returned to the club in June that year) won the match 22–17, achieving their first national championship.^[7][8] With Sánchez leading the team, Tucumán LT set a 14-consecutive win record in both competitions.^[9]

Note

• Bold indicates winning years

The final was held in Estadio Héctor Cabrera (mostly known as La Caldera del Parque)^[10][2], home venue of Tucumán LT, located in the city of San Miguel de Tucumán^[11]. The stadium, with capacity for 10,000 spectators^[12], was named after number 8 Héctor Gallo Cabrera (died at 54 in 2007), regarded not only as one of the most notable players in the history of the club but of Tucumán's rugby.^[13][14]

Gallo –who had arrived to the club in 1972– had been a football player so he was good at kicking and used to take the penalty kicks. He also captained the Unión de Rugby de Tucumán (URT) team from 1976 to 1985, and was coach of both, Tucumán LT and the URT team. Gallo died from cancer in 2007.^[14]

Tucumán Lawn Tennis qualified as champions of Torneo del Interior, where they defeated Jockey Club Córdoba 3024 in the final, being their first regional title. Tucumán LT had entered to the Interior tournament as winners of the Torneo del Noroeste (6th. title).^[15][9]

On the other hand, Alumni qualified as URBA champions after defeating their clásico, Belgrano Athletic, in the 2024 URBA Top 12 final^[16][17]

It was the first final contested by Tucumán LT. Before of that, their best performance was in 2015 when they reached the quarterfinals (lost to rivals Tucumán RC 22–20)^[18]. In the case of Alumni, their previous participations in national championship finals had been in 1996, 2001 (both lost to Hindú) and in 2002, when they won the championship defeating Jockey Club Rosario.^[19]

Alumni started stronger, using the maul as their main weapon, and took the lead with a try by Franco Battezzati. However, the home side didn't let the setback affect them, and an immediate try by Joaquín López Islas quickly turned the score around. With a penalty apiece, both teams went into halftime with the feeling that they hadn't shown their full potential, and with a score (10–8 in favor of the home side) that left the outcome of the second half wide open.^[7]

In the second half the game became more dramatic, and Nicolás Sánchez went head-to-head with his friend Santiago González Iglesias. The Alumni fullback put his team ahead with three penalties, but just when it seemed the cup was headed back to Buenos Aires, the Tucumán fly-half had the final say. With two penalties, the second in stoppage time, he sealed the victory for Tucumán that therefore crowned as national champions.^[7]