Mario Ledesma is incorporated into the URBA with a new role related to the game

The former player and coach of the Pumas, Mario Ledesma, It is officially incorporated into URBA as Union game area consultantafter a season in which Head Coach was from the selected one of 17 years of the URBA who consecrated champion of the Argentine Youth Tournament 2024.

In its new role it will be in charge of making training on Scrum and Line Out, for all URBA clubs, along with an advisory function on scrum to the refereeous area and from the regulatory point of view from the analysis of videos of the tournament matches. It will also keep its position as HC of the M17 selected.

The president of the URBA, Rafael Silva, He highlighted; “The incorporation of Mario hierarchizes our union and opens the door to the 91 clubs to be able to nourish themselves with quality content and training, this added to the UAR contribution with connect Rugby Urba-Uar and the professional staff of the URBA, will generate a lot of added value to our coaches and players of all clubs. “

For its part, Ledesma expressed its objectives: “Mainly that we can continue to improve as a union and that the things we do help clubs, which is the central purpose of the URBA. That all our work serves to improve the players and the game of all the clubs of the Union. ”

He also referred to the continuity of his task with the youth team: “I hope we can have another beautiful year by enhancing the evolution of the boys, that they can compete at the best level and that we continue to generate a great sense of belonging of the players with the union, as happened with the youth in 2024. I would love that everything we do serves to improve the rugby of the URBA, because in that way we will also collaborate with the improvement of Argentine rugby.”

Finally, he referred to the work with the union’s refereeum: “We are going to give a hand and help the area from the technical in terms of scrum and in everything they need on me, and I hope that collaborates in the task of strengthening the relationship with clubs. ”

Ledesma He has an outstanding career as a player and as a coach. He began his sports career in Curupaytí, first as eighth, and then consolidated as a hooker, a position in which he shone internationally.

He debuted with Los Pumas in 1996 against Uruguay and participated in four World Cups (1999, 2003, 2007 and 2011), being a fundamental part of the team that achieved the historic third place in France 2007. With 84 Test Matches, he is one of the players with the most presences in the Argentine team.

At club level, Ledesma played in France for Narbonne, Castres and Clermont, where he was crowned champion of the top 14 in the 2009/10 season before retiring in 2011.

After his retirement, Ledesma began his career as a coach at Stade Français under the direction of Michael Cheika. Subsequently, he was an assistant in Montpellier and the Waratahs, before joining the Technical Staff of the Australian National Team, with which he reached the 2015 World Cup final.

In 2017, he assumed as Head Coach of Jaguares, taking the team to his first classification to the quarterfinals of the Super Rugby, in 2018. That same year, he was appointed main coach of the Pumas, a position he held until February 2022, a team he directed in 33 games, with a balance of 8 wins, 3 draws and 22 losses. Among the most prominent triumphs is the historic victory over the All Blacks in 2020, the first in history for Argentina.

Source: URBA