Top 12 (Argentina) 2026/27

The Top 12 is the premier club rugby union championship of the Unión de Rugby de Buenos Aires (URBA) in Argentina. Officially known as the Top 12 de la URBA, the competition is currently expanding to include 14 teams for the 2026 season. It operates as the top-tier regional league for the Buenos Aires metropolitan area, organized by the URBA since 1996.

The championship traces its origins to 1899, when the River Plate Rugby Union organized the first tournament, making it the oldest rugby club competition in South America. The URBA created its own distinct championship in 1996, and the specific format and name "Top 12" were adopted in 2017 after reducing the number of teams from 14 to 12. The modern playoff system to determine a single champion was introduced in 1998.

The season consists of a double round-robin regular season where each team plays every other team twice, totaling 22 matches. Points are awarded for wins (4), draws (2), and losses (0), with bonus points for scoring four or more tries or losing by seven points or fewer. The top four teams advance to single-elimination semifinals, with the winners meeting in a Grand Final to determine the champion. The champion and runner-up qualify for the national Torneo Nacional de Clubes.

Promotion and relegation exist between the Top 12 and the Primera División A, the second tier. The 12th-placed team is directly relegated, while the 11th-placed team plays a playoff against the runner-up of the Primera División A. The winner of the Primera División A is promoted directly. Historically, CUBA is the most successful club with 14 titles, followed by Belgrano Athletic with 11, and Alumni with 7 as of 2024. The most recent champion is Newman (2025).

The Top 12 is distinct from the Torneo Nacional de Clubes. While the Top 12 is the strongest regional league, the Nacional de Clubes is the official national championship organized by the UAR. Since 2022, the Nacional de Clubes has been reduced to a "superfinal" between the URBA Top 12 champion and the champion of the Torneo del Interior. This structure highlights the federal nature of Argentine rugby, where the URBA league serves as the primary qualifier for the national title.