England set to host Pumas

England are set to play their first summer Test against Argentina on home soil rather than in South America after receiving a request from the Pumas for financial assistance.

The Rugby Football Union are 'keen to help' Argentina and plan to stage the match away from Twickenham, providing the idea receives approval from the International Rugby Board.

RFU chief executive Francis Baron explained: 'Argentina feel that playing one of their two Tests against England in England would generate urgently needed funds to invest in their squads, in particular the Pumas A team due to take part in the Churchill Cup in North America at the same time.

'We are keen to assist Argentina and will take the opportunity of playing the match away from Twickenham to aid rugby development in the regions.'

The RFU are currently evaluating potential stadium options.

No date for the Test has been finalised but it is likely to fall in early June.

The Pumas would remain the home team in the fixture and therefore the Union Argentina de Rugby would benefit from related income streams such as gate receipts and merchandise.

It would not be the first time England have played an away Test on home soil.

During the construction of the Millennium Stadium, Wales moved their Five Nations matches to Wembley and famously beat England 32-31 in April, 1999.

The RFU have often been criticised for not taking England on the road - particularly for fixtures which do not attract sell-out crowds to Twickenham - as they did during the World Cup qualifying campaign in November 1998, when Clive Woodward's team played Holland and Italy at the McAlpine Stadium in Huddersfield.

Argentina would provide far sterner opposition and attract potentially bigger crowds than either of those two, having beaten England at Twickenham in 2006 as they built towards a third-place finish in last year's World Cup.

And the request from the UAR provides the opportunity for the RFU to take England outside of London.

Potential venues for the match could include Old Trafford, which staged England's 25-8 defeat to New Zealand in 1997 and is used for hosting the Super League Grand Final.

Across Manchester, Eastlands may also be an option. Sale were planning to use the 48,000-seat stadium if they qualified for the semi-finals of the Heineken Cup in 2006.

Wembley recently staged the Barbarians' 1908 Olympic centenary game against Australia, while Coventry's Ricoh Arena, Leicester's Walkers Stadium and Nottingham Forest's City Ground have all hosted Heineken Cup rugby.

Argentina finished third in the 2007 World Cup and there have been moves within the IRB to aid their development.

At the 2007 Woking conference, the IRB agreed to increase their number of Test matches against major opposition and find a way for the Pumas to join the Tri-Nations.

Argentina need the increased funds from hosting the Test in England to help develop a professional structure that would underpin any potential inclusion in the Tri-Nations.

Domestic rugby in Argentina remains staunchly amateur but the UAR are attempting to produce a professional tier through high-performance units, with players competing in pan-American competitions and the Churchill Cup.

The UAR's professional committee chairman, Ricardo Garcia Fernandez, tonight told PA Sport that a deal is close to being agreed which will see the first Test played in England.

He said: 'We have been talking with the Rugby Football Union for two months now and the chances to play there are bigger every day. We are waiting for them to give their final offer.

'This change has an economic reason, but it is not because we are having financial problems or something like that.

'This is part of a plan to increase the UAR's income, but it is going to be used in different aspects, not only in the Pumas A side that will compete in the Churchill Cup at the same time.'

Garcia Fernandez believes Old Trafford would be a suitable venue for the match.

He said: 'That is also a possibility.'

And he claimed talks with a view to staging the match at the home of Manchester United have already begun, adding: 'It is not confirmed yet, but I know that the RFU board talked (about playing at Old Trafford). We still do not have all the details to make it official.'