Having posted an historic victory against England at Twickenham, which they followed up with a checking of the Italian resurgence in Rome at the weekend, the Pumas are again pushing for inclusion in the southern hemisphere's premier rugby tournament - the Tri-Nations.

And this time they have the backing of some government heavyweights.

Argentina is the only top-tier International Rugby Board (IRB) side not involved in a major annual competition, and, with their top professional players mostly based in Europe, they could provide the missing verve and variation increasingly absent from southern hemisphere competition, despite the best efforts of the magnificent All Blacks.

Gary Flowers, who has the dual role of Australian Rugby Union (ARU) Chief Executive as well as Secretary  of SANZAR (South Africa, New Zealand and Australian Rugby - who run the Tri-Nations and the Super 14), spoke to The Australian's Wayne Smith on Monday and said such a move was "possible".

"To be frank, all of us have a duty to make sure that our product is out there and fresh," Flowers said, after he had received an approach from the Argentinean government.

There are concerns with the viability of such a move. With so many players involved in Europe, it might suit Argentina better to join the Six Nations. This, however, would erode the identities of the two tournaments.

Flowers said that a suggestion had come out of South Africa that Argentina could base themselves within that country for the duration of the tournament.

This would not assist internal Argentinean rugby development, but could provide the necessary opening that their rugby so desperately requires.

The Pumas also suffer from the contractual system of Europe, where players are contracted to their clubs not their countries, and they might not be able to guarantee their strongest team to appear in the tournament.

This would be of grave concern to News Limited, whose broadcasting deal with SANZAR ensures the tournament's existence, and in reality governs the tournament.

News Limited have recently concluded a five year deal with SANZAR, making it, in Flowers' words, "difficult" for the Pumas to enter the tournament during that period.

For the global game to develop, however, it is be necessary that such corporate difficulties of the professional era be overcome.