Hugo Porta
Encyclopedia
Hugo Porta is a former Argentine Rugby Union footballer, an inductee of both the International Rugby Hall of Fame
and IRB Hall of Fame
, and one of the best fly-halves the sport has seen. During the 1970s and 1980s, he played 58 times for Los Pumas
, captaining
them on 34 occasions, including leading them during the first World Cup
in 1987.
Porta made his international debut in 1971. His best performances came in the late 1970s and early 1980s, with 1977 draw with France
, the Pumas' 1979 24-13 win against Australia
, and a 21-21 tie with the All Blacks
on 2 November 1985.
. He played football (soccer) and almost signed for Boca Juniors
but then changed to rugby union, joining Banco Nación. Porta made his debut for Argentina on 10 October 1971 against Chile
in the starting line up. He earned another three caps that year in games against Brazil
, Paraguay
and Uruguay
. The following year Argentina played two games against the South African Springboks in Buenos Aires
.
Porta played seven times for the national team the following season, including matches against Romania
as well as Ireland and Scotland XVs (non-cap
). During the 1974 and 75 seasons, Argentina played four Tests
against France
. In 1976 games were also played against Welsh and New Zealand XVs (non-cap). Porta became the national captain in 1977, and in his first game in charge, led the Pumas against France. Argentina lost 3-26, with Porta getting Argentina's only points through a penalty goal. However, in the following match, the nations drew 18-all, Hugo providing all of Argentina's points through six penalties, as, for France, did Jean-Michel Aguirre
, who also kicked six penalties.
Porta led Argentina in two matches during October 1978; against an England XV (non-cap) and Italy
. The following season he led the Pumas against a New Zealand XV (non-cap) in a two match series. On 27 October 1979 Porta led Argentina to a victory over Australia in Buenos Aires, winning 24-13. Porta kicked two conversions, one penalty and three drop goals to contribute 18 points during the match. Although the following leg was lost 12-17, the win became a landmark for Argentina.
Porta played for the South American Jaguars
, on three of these tours between 1980 and 1984. Following the first South America tour, Porta led Argentina to two victories over Fiji
, and drew with England in 1981. During the second South America tour in 1982, in a game against the Springboks in 1982, South America won the game in Bloemfontein
, with Porta scoring all of the 21 points in the victory. Argentina also defeated Australia 18-3 in Brisbane
at Ballymore
in 1983. Another South American tour took place in 1984. Argentina also defeated France 24-16 in June 1985. Following a 20-33 loss to the All Blacks that October, the famous 21-21 draw happened on 2 November, with Porta kicking four penalties and three drop goals for 21 points. Porta is the only Argentinian player to have represented the South African Barbarians
Club.
Porta led Argentina to the 1987 World Cup
, at the age of 36 and retired after the tournament. In their first pool match they lost to Fiji 28-9. The following game saw Argentina win, defeating Italy 25-16. They were defeated 45-15 by the All Blacks in the last game. He came out of retirement briefly in 1990 to play games against Ireland, England and Scotland. In 1991 he was appointed Argentine Ambassador to South Africa by President Carlos Menem
, and in 1994 became Argentina's Minister for Sport. In 2000 his car was carjacked
by thieves in Buenos Aires, but they returned his vehicle after reading whose car they had stolen in the newspapers.
In September 2007 Will Carling, the renowned English Rugby Union
captain included Porta among his list of top ten rugby players af all time.
International Rugby Hall of Fame
The International Rugby Hall of Fame is a hall of fame for rugby union. It was created in 1997 in New Zealand and is run as a charitable trust with an address at Chiswick in London. Most of the trustees are also inductees. IRHOF accepts new inductees every two years...
and IRB Hall of Fame
IRB Hall of Fame
The IRB Hall of Fame is a hall of fame operated by the International Rugby Board that recognises special achievement and contribution to the sport of rugby union. The IRB Hall of Fame covers players, coaches, administrators, match officials, institutions and other individuals...
, and one of the best fly-halves the sport has seen. During the 1970s and 1980s, he played 58 times for Los Pumas
Argentina national rugby union team
The Argentina national rugby team, nicknamed Los Pumas, represents Argentina in international rugby union matches. The team, which plays in sky blue and white jerseys, is organised by the Argentine Rugby Union .Argentina played its first international rugby match in 1910 against a touring British...
, captaining
Captain (sports)
In team sports, a captain is a title given to a member of the team. The title is frequently honorary, but in some cases the captain may have significant responsibility for strategy and teamwork while the game is in progress on the field...
them on 34 occasions, including leading them during the first World Cup
Rugby World Cup
The Rugby World Cup is an international rugby union competition organised by the International Rugby Board and held every four years since 1987....
in 1987.
Porta made his international debut in 1971. His best performances came in the late 1970s and early 1980s, with 1977 draw with France
France national rugby union team
The France national rugby union team represents France in rugby union. They compete annually against England, Ireland, Italy, Scotland and Wales in the Six Nations Championship. They have won the championship outright sixteen times, shared it a further eight times, and have completed nine grand slams...
, the Pumas' 1979 24-13 win against Australia
Australia national rugby union team
The Australian national rugby union team is the representative side of Australia in rugby union. The national team is nicknamed the Wallabies and competes annually with New Zealand and South Africa in the Tri-Nations Series, in which they also contest the Bledisloe Cup with New Zealand and the...
, and a 21-21 tie with the All Blacks
All Blacks
The New Zealand men's national rugby union team, known as the All Blacks, represent New Zealand in what is regarded as its national sport....
on 2 November 1985.
Career
Porta was born in Buenos AiresBuenos Aires
Buenos Aires is the capital and largest city of Argentina, and the second-largest metropolitan area in South America, after São Paulo. It is located on the western shore of the estuary of the Río de la Plata, on the southeastern coast of the South American continent...
. He played football (soccer) and almost signed for Boca Juniors
Boca Juniors
Club Atlético Boca Juniors is an Argentine sports club based in La Boca neighborhood of Buenos Aires. It is best known for its professional football team, which currently plays in the Primera División....
but then changed to rugby union, joining Banco Nación. Porta made his debut for Argentina on 10 October 1971 against Chile
Chile national rugby union team
The Chile national rugby union team is a rugby union nation representing Chile. They first played in 1935 and have yet to qualify for the Rugby World Cup. Rugby union in Chile is administered by the Federación de Rugby de Chile...
in the starting line up. He earned another three caps that year in games against Brazil
Brazil national rugby union team
The Brazil national rugby union team is the national side of Brazil, representing them at rugby union. Brazil is a third tier rugby union side, and have yet to make their debut at the Rugby World Cup. Rugby union has been growing substantially in Brazil since 2005 and the number of players is...
, Paraguay
Paraguay national rugby union team
The Paraguay national rugby team is the team governed by the Paraguayan Rugby Union that represents Paraguay in the international rugby competitions organized by the International Rugby Board....
and Uruguay
Uruguay national rugby union team
The Uruguay national rugby union team is the representative side of Uruguay, governed by the Unión de Rugby del Uruguay. They have been playing international rugby since 1948. Their jersey is blue and black and they are known as Los Teros. They qualified twice for the Rugby World Cup, in 1999 and...
. The following year Argentina played two games against the South African Springboks in Buenos Aires
Buenos Aires
Buenos Aires is the capital and largest city of Argentina, and the second-largest metropolitan area in South America, after São Paulo. It is located on the western shore of the estuary of the Río de la Plata, on the southeastern coast of the South American continent...
.
Porta played seven times for the national team the following season, including matches against Romania
Romania national rugby union team
The Romania national rugby union team , nicknamed The Oaks , is the representative side of Romania in rugby union. Long considered one of the stronger European teams outside the Six Nations, they have participated in all six Rugby World Cups, and currently compete in the first division of the...
as well as Ireland and Scotland XVs (non-cap
Cap (sport)
In sports, a cap is a metaphorical term for a player's appearance on a select team, such as a national team. The term dates from the practice in the United Kingdom of awarding a cap to every player in an international match of association football...
). During the 1974 and 75 seasons, Argentina played four Tests
Test match (rugby union)
Test match in rugby union is a match recognised as being a full international match by at least one of the participating teams' governing bodies. It is an unofficial but widely used term in the sport....
against France
France national rugby union team
The France national rugby union team represents France in rugby union. They compete annually against England, Ireland, Italy, Scotland and Wales in the Six Nations Championship. They have won the championship outright sixteen times, shared it a further eight times, and have completed nine grand slams...
. In 1976 games were also played against Welsh and New Zealand XVs (non-cap). Porta became the national captain in 1977, and in his first game in charge, led the Pumas against France. Argentina lost 3-26, with Porta getting Argentina's only points through a penalty goal. However, in the following match, the nations drew 18-all, Hugo providing all of Argentina's points through six penalties, as, for France, did Jean-Michel Aguirre
Jean-Michel Aguirre
Jean-Michel Aguirre is a former French rugby union player. He played as a Scrum-half and Fullback.Aguirre played for Stade Bagnérais. He started his career as a Scrum-half but his usual positions became Fullback...
, who also kicked six penalties.
Porta led Argentina in two matches during October 1978; against an England XV (non-cap) and Italy
Italy national rugby union team
The Italy national rugby union team represent the nation of Italy in the sport of rugby union. The team is also known as the Azzurri . Italy have been playing international rugby since the late 1920s, and since 2000 compete annually in the Six Nations Championship with England, France, Ireland,...
. The following season he led the Pumas against a New Zealand XV (non-cap) in a two match series. On 27 October 1979 Porta led Argentina to a victory over Australia in Buenos Aires, winning 24-13. Porta kicked two conversions, one penalty and three drop goals to contribute 18 points during the match. Although the following leg was lost 12-17, the win became a landmark for Argentina.
Porta played for the South American Jaguars
South American Jaguars
The South American Jaguars was an international rugby union team consisting of South American players that played during the early 1980s against the South African Springboks. South Africa invited South America to tour there as a way of counteracting its sporting isolation which was due to the...
, on three of these tours between 1980 and 1984. Following the first South America tour, Porta led Argentina to two victories over Fiji
Fiji national rugby union team
The Fiji national rugby union team is a member of the Pacific Islands Rugby Alliance formerly along with Samoa and Tonga. In 2009, Samoa announced their departure from the Pacific Islands Rugby Alliance, leaving just Fiji and Tonga. Fiji are ranked sixteenth in the world by the IRB as of 26...
, and drew with England in 1981. During the second South America tour in 1982, in a game against the Springboks in 1982, South America won the game in Bloemfontein
Bloemfontein
Bloemfontein is the capital city of the Free State Province of South Africa; and, as the judicial capital of the nation, one of South Africa's three national capitals – the other two being Cape Town, the legislative capital, and Pretoria, the administrative capital.Bloemfontein is popularly and...
, with Porta scoring all of the 21 points in the victory. Argentina also defeated Australia 18-3 in Brisbane
Brisbane
Brisbane is the capital and most populous city in the Australian state of Queensland and the third most populous city in Australia. Brisbane's metropolitan area has a population of over 2 million, and the South East Queensland urban conurbation, centred around Brisbane, encompasses a population of...
at Ballymore
Ballymore Stadium
Ballymore is the name of a rugby union stadium situated in Herston, a suburb of Brisbane, Australia. It was the home of Queensland Rugby Union, and used to be the home ground for the Queensland Reds and the Brisbane Strikers Football Club. The Queensland Reds have since moved to Suncorp Stadium...
in 1983. Another South American tour took place in 1984. Argentina also defeated France 24-16 in June 1985. Following a 20-33 loss to the All Blacks that October, the famous 21-21 draw happened on 2 November, with Porta kicking four penalties and three drop goals for 21 points. Porta is the only Argentinian player to have represented the South African Barbarians
South African Barbarians
South African Barbarians is an invitational rugby union club formed in 1960 by Frank Mellish, the former 1951-2 Springbok selector and manager together with former Natal chairman, Harry Stacey, styled along the lines of Barbarian F.C...
Club.
Porta led Argentina to the 1987 World Cup
1987 Rugby World Cup
The 1987 Rugby World Cup was the first Rugby World Cup. New Zealand and Australia agreed to co-host the first ever tournament with New Zealand hosting seventeen pool stage matches, two quarter-finals and the final with Australia being the junior partner hosting seven pool matches, two...
, at the age of 36 and retired after the tournament. In their first pool match they lost to Fiji 28-9. The following game saw Argentina win, defeating Italy 25-16. They were defeated 45-15 by the All Blacks in the last game. He came out of retirement briefly in 1990 to play games against Ireland, England and Scotland. In 1991 he was appointed Argentine Ambassador to South Africa by President Carlos Menem
Carlos Menem
Carlos Saúl Menem is an Argentine politician who was President of Argentina from 1989 to 1999. He is currently an Argentine National Senator for La Rioja Province.-Early life:...
, and in 1994 became Argentina's Minister for Sport. In 2000 his car was carjacked
Carjacking
Carjacking is a form of hijacking, where the crime is of stealing a motor vehicle and so also armed assault when the vehicle is occupied. Historically, such as in the rash of semi-trailer truck hijackings during the 1960s, the general term hijacking was used for that type of vehicle abduction,...
by thieves in Buenos Aires, but they returned his vehicle after reading whose car they had stolen in the newspapers.
In September 2007 Will Carling, the renowned English Rugby Union
England national rugby union team
The England national rugby union team represents England in rugby union. They compete in the annual Six Nations Championship with France, Ireland, Scotland, Italy, and Wales. They have won this championship on 26 occasions, 12 times winning the Grand Slam, making them the most successful team in...
captain included Porta among his list of top ten rugby players af all time.
Clubs
- Banco Nación: 1986, 1989
- Rugby sevensRugby sevensRugby sevens, also known as seven-a-side or VIIs, is a variant of rugby union in which teams are made up of seven players, instead of the usual 15, with shorter matches. Rugby sevens is administered by the International Rugby Board , the body responsible for rugby union worldwide...
: 1974, 1984
Individual Honors
- Olimpia de Oro AwardOlimpia AwardThe Olimpia Award is a sport award in Argentina, given every year by the Argentine Sports Journalists' Circle since 1954.An Olimpia de Plata is awarded to one of the candidates of each one of the 41 sports disciplines...
(for "sportsman of the year" in Argentina): 1985 - Olimpia de Plata Award (for "rugby union player of the year" in Argentina): 1975, 1977, 1978, 1980, 1982
- Midi Olimpique Magazine: "Best rugby union player of the world" (1985)
- Roathmans Yearbook Magazine: "Best Fly-half of the 1980s" (1989).
- Member of the Rugby hall of fameRugby hall of fame- Rugby league :*Rugby League Hall of Fame*Australian Rugby League Hall of Fame*British Rugby League Hall of Fame...
of New Zealand. - All-time top scorer of Argentina primera división: 301 points
- Enter to the Guinness World RecordsGuinness World RecordsGuinness World Records, known until 2000 as The Guinness Book of Records , is a reference book published annually, containing a collection of world records, both human achievements and the extremes of the natural world...
due to having scored seven penalties and a conversion in the same match (in 1982 versus the SpringboksSouth Africa national rugby union teamThe South African national rugby union team are 2009 British and Irish Lions Series winners. They are currently ranked as the fourth best team in the IRB World Rankings and were named 2008 World Team of the Year at the prestigious Laureus World Sports Awards.Although South Africa was instrumental...
).
See also
- International Rugby Hall of FameInternational Rugby Hall of FameThe International Rugby Hall of Fame is a hall of fame for rugby union. It was created in 1997 in New Zealand and is run as a charitable trust with an address at Chiswick in London. Most of the trustees are also inductees. IRHOF accepts new inductees every two years...
- IRB Hall of FameIRB Hall of FameThe IRB Hall of Fame is a hall of fame operated by the International Rugby Board that recognises special achievement and contribution to the sport of rugby union. The IRB Hall of Fame covers players, coaches, administrators, match officials, institutions and other individuals...
- Argentine Rugby Union