Arturo Rodríguez Jurado, Los Pumas legend, has died: farewell to the "Argentine Charles Bronson."

Argentine rugby mourns a Puma of the soul. Arturo Rodríguez Jurado passed away at the age of 81. A captain and idol of the SIC and a member of the squad on Argentina's historic tour of South Africa, which gave rise to the nickname that became a trademark of the team, "El Trompa" left his mark on the world of oval ball.

Rodríguez Jurado was born on May 4, 1944, and was the son of another great Argentine sportsman, "Mono" Rodríguez Jurado , boxer and Olympic champion at Amsterdam in 1924 , who also played for the Argentine national team and CASI . El Trompa , however, remained a lifelong member of the San Isidro Club , which his father had founded.

"At CASI I played bocce and soccer, but never rugby. Except for my father, no one Rodríguez Jurado played rugby at CASI. Never," he once said, making it clear where his heart lay.

Wearing the Academy jersey, he won four consecutive titles between 1970 and 1973, marking the start of a decade in which the Boulogne-sur-Mer-based team dominated national rugby.

Farewell, Arturo! A good, strong, and temperamental friend. You represented our beloved San Isidro Club everywhere. We'll miss you, Trompa!

We'll say goodbye to him today, Sunday, June 15, from 1 to 6 pm at the SIC. pic.twitter.com/zlKRd0E4PO

— San Isidro Club (@SanIsidroClub) June 15, 2025

"Farewell Arturo! A good, strong, and temperamental friend. You represented our beloved San Isidro Club everywhere. We'll miss you, Trompa!" his club bid him farewell with a brief message on Twitter . There, in his second home, they said their final goodbyes this Sunday.

"It is with profound sadness that we bid farewell to Arturo Rodríguez Jurado, Puma #231. Arturo was a member of the historic Los Pumas team in 1965 and one of the most outstanding players in the history of the San Isidro Club," the UAR wrote on its social media.

As charismatic and elegant off the pitch—he was known as "the Argentine Charles Bronson" and even graced the cover of Gente magazine—as well as powerful and skillful with a ball, he was good at many sports. But as a child, he discovered his passion for rugby, which he considered "the best sport in the world and beyond," and dedicated his life to rugby.

From his first matches with the SIC, he made it clear that he was a different kind of player, a player who combined speed, skill, and a fearsome tackle . He was then called up for that historic 1965 tour, which marked a turning point for the Argentine national team. A positional back, he made his debut for the blue and white in the unforgettable 11-6 victory over the Junior Springboks at Ellis Park Stadium in Johannesburg on June 19, 1965.

Trompa, thank you for always being there, especially for my dad. Hug him for me and take care of us. pic.twitter.com/mHqLmqFuG4

— Agustín Pichot (@AP9_) June 15, 2025

"I was standing first in the centre, Poggi gave it to me and it was the first ball I received with space. I had dreamed about that ball all tour and in front of me was Ackerman, who was their ace of spades. I had the ball and I had Ackerman in front of me, what I had longed for and waited for. I put the ball under my left arm, I handed him off and a 30-metre lane opened up for me. I ran, threw it to Pascual and he flew in for a try," he once recalled about the play that ended up sealing the victory.

He played for Los Pumas for over ten years, until he left the national team due to a dispute with the UAR. Still, he had already done enough in the sky-blue and white jersey—and with the SIC—to become a symbol for an entire generation.

Agustín Pichot , captain of the team that won the historic bronze at the 2007 World Cup in France , bid him farewell with an emotional message: "Trompa, thank you for always being there, especially for my dad. Hug him for me and take care of us."