England switch Buenos Aires hotel to dodge World Cup celebrations
The England rugby squad has changed its accommodation in Buenos Aires to avoid the logistical chaos of Argentina's World Cup celebrations, highlighting how major sporting events can paralyse urban infrastructure.
England's rugby squad has relocated from its central Buenos Aires hotel to a venue near the airport, ahead of a potential mass celebration if Argentina wins the football World Cup on Sunday. The move comes after the team was caught in the middle of chaotic street parties following Argentina's semi-final victory over Thomas Tuchel's side on Wednesday.
The team's original base was situated just outside the Obelisk monument in Plaza de la Republica, the focal point for hundreds of thousands of celebrating fans. Fireworks continued until 4am, forcing staff to issue earplugs to players and erect steel fencing around the building to maintain security.
For European sports organisations operating abroad, the episode underscores the severe logistical disruptions that major tournaments can inflict on host cities. The England squad travels to Santiago del Estero for Saturday's Nations Championship match against the Pumas, but was due to return to the capital just 24 hours later. With memories still fresh of the millions who descended on the Obelisk after Argentina's 2022 World Cup victory, management decided the risk of being stranded on Monday was too high.
"I wouldn't suggest that everybody got a great night's sleep last night - there were still fireworks going off at 4am this morning," Borthwick said. He noted that players watched the crowds from the hotel terrace. "We'd obviously all wanted England to win but one of the experiences of touring is seeing a spectacle like that in a different part of the world."
The squad's immediate focus remains on Saturday's clash. Borthwick has named an unchanged starting lineup, with Henry Pollock remaining on the bench despite scoring a hat-trick against Fiji last week.
Pollock has been a talking point locally after footage emerged of the 21-year-old gesturing at a crowd of Argentina fans from the team bus. Borthwick defended the incident, stating: "Henry's full of character. We want character in our game and we want character in our squad. I think it was done in good nature and it came from a very good place."
