Argentina's rugby players have passed another milestone in their quest for regular top-flight internationals when the IRB granted them freedom from their clubs to take part in an expanded Tri-Nations from 2012.
One of the prerequisites of the invitation to the Pumas to play in the annual southern hemisphere competition with Australia, New Zealand and South Africa was that they did so at full strength.
Argentina's players with European clubs are released for only the June and November international test windows and the Pumas, who finished third at the last World Cup, are the only top 10 team not to compete in an annual international tournament.
Their coach, Santiago Phelan, says Tri-Nations is the world's toughest tournament, physically and tactically, and the new Four Nations will be a great challenge.
