The International Rugby Board have urged Australia, New Zealand and South Africa to remain patient with Argentina when they join an expanded Tri-Nations in 2012.
The Pumas have won just six of their 18 Tests since finishing third at the 2007 Rugby World Cup, a run that has seen them slip to eighth in the current IRB rankings.
Mark Egan, the IRB's head of development and performance, admitted that joining a competition featuring the world's top three sides would be a major challenge for any team.
But he urged the SANZAR nations to throw their full support behind Argentina's participation - just as the IRB have done in funding new high performance programmes.
‘They are in transition. For any union to join a tournament where the top three teams in the world are playing is very daunting,’ Egan told Press Association Sport.
‘We have been working with them. We have invested a lot of money in their domestic high-performance programme.
‘It is going to be a medium-term process in getting these players through to professional rugby.
‘It is going to be a big challenge but the Tri-Nations countries have opened their arms to it. I think there is a huge commitment there.
‘The current arrangement is a four-year deal because it is based around the television contract.
‘Yes (four years may not be enough). The IRB want Argentina to stay in there. We don't own that tournament and the SANZAR partners have to look at that themselves.
‘I firmly believe they are fully committed to making this work. We need to make this work. Everybody needs to make this work.’
The IRB have helped Argentina set up regional high-performance centres and their A-team, the Jaguars, have played in the Churchill Cup and South Africa's domestic Vodacom Cup competition.
‘The Jaguars had 12 fixtures last year and the players are beginning to come through. They had two playing against Ireland last weekend,’ said Egan.
