Argentina Rugby is in an emergency. The promising hooker, Pablo Dimcheff, has joined the Italian national team, making an unavoidable loss of a key player for Argentina. Dimcheff, originally from Buenos Aires, has been named to the Italian squad for their upcoming July tour to Namibia and South Africa, marking his first national team call-up for a country where he was born and raised.
Eligible for Italy Through Ancestry Rules
Dimcheff's inclusion in the Italian squad is based on World Rugby Player Eligibility Regulation 8. This regulation stipulates that a player must meet at least one of the following three criteria: (a) have been born in that country; (b) have a parent or grandparent born in that country; (c) have completed 5 years of cumulative residence immediately preceding the time of playing; or (d) have completed 10 years of cumulative residence by the time of playing.
Dimcheff met the ancestry eligibility criteria through his maternal grandmother and grandfather, both of whom are from Calabria, Italy. He was previously selected for the Argentina XV squad for their July 2022 tour of Portugal and Georgia, but he did not play in any matches, thus retaining his eligibility to play for Italy. During that tour, Santiago Socino and Bautista Bernasconi primarily served as hookers for Argentina XV.
Interestingly, this year's captain for the Italian national team is also an Argentine-born player. Juan Ignacio Brex captained the Azzurri (the Italian national team's nickname) in a match against New Zealand last November and led the team in the Six Nations against Ireland in 2025. However, Brex will not participate in the July tour of South Africa for a rest period. Argentine-born prop Ivan Nemer, also an Italian international, was also excluded from this roster. Dimcheff, Brex, and Nemer all have played for Argentine teams other than Los Pumas, the main Argentine national team.
Pablo Dimcheff's Development and Career
Pablo Dimcheff, 25, originates from the Pucará club in Buenos Aires. He came through the Argentine High Performance system and represented Argentina at the 2019 World Rugby Junior World Championship held in his home country. At that time, he played alongside current Los Pumas players such as Thomas Gallo, Juan Martín González, Bautista Pedemonte, Gonzalo García, Mateo Carreras, Santiago Chocobares, and Ignacio Mendy.
Following the Junior World Championship, Dimcheff played for Los Jaguares XV in the Currie Cup First Division, where they had an undefeated season. Subsequently, he played for Los Ceibos in the Súper Liga Americana de Rugby (SLAR), the predecessor to the current Super Rugby Americas.
Dimcheff's hometown club, Pucará, has produced many past and present Pumas players, including current Pumas winger Bautista Delguy, who plays for Clermont. Dimcheff left Argentina to continue his playing career in France. He played for Bordeaux in Top 14 and is currently playing for Colomiers in Pro D2, having previously played for Mont de Marsan and Charente.
Deepening of Argentina's Hooker Void
Dimcheff's selection for the Italian national team signifies yet another loss for Argentina at the hooker position. This comes less than a year after Agustín Creevy retired from international rugby in August last year. Creevy, with 110 caps, is regarded as one of the greatest hookers in Argentine rugby history. With his retirement creating a void at hooker and now Dimcheff heading to Italy, the Argentine national team's concerns are expected to deepen.
The current hooker void is still open, but there is anticipation for Bautista Bernasconi, who is expected to make his Argentine debut in 2025. He participated in Los Pumas training in March, alongside Ignacio Ruiz and captain Julián Montoya. Bernasconi currently plays for Benetton in the United Rugby Championship (URC).
Other notable options include Facundo Bosch and Leonel Oviedo. Veteran Facundo Bosch has 12 caps for Argentina and has had an impressive season with Bayonne in France's Top 14. Leonel Oviedo is currently playing for Los Dogos in Super Rugby Americas.
Argentina will likely need to focus more on discovering new hookers and developing existing players to fill the void left by Dimcheff. All eyes will be on how Los Pumas' hooker contingent performs in the upcoming international matches.
[Copyright (c) Global Economic Times. All Rights Reserved.]
