Los Pumas reshape staff as Ledesma returns and Edwards takes defence role

A national-team move beyond the football noise

The Argentine Rugby Union announced on Friday, October 9, 2026, that Mario Ledesma and Shaun Edwards are joining Los Pumas’ coaching staff. According to the official statement, Ledesma will work as forwards coach and Edwards will take over as defence coach.

The appointments were announced with a clear timeframe: both are joining through the end of the World Cup. The UAR placed the move ahead of the Nations Championship’s continuation in Europe in November, although that statement did not list opponents, venues or kick-off times.

What changes for Los Pumas

Ledesma’s return carries particular weight in Argentine rugby. The UAR noted that he was Los Pumas’ head coach from 2018 to 2022 and that, more recently, he worked as a consultant in the Game Department and as head coach of URBA’s M17 representative side.

Edwards arrives with a profile strongly linked to defence. The UAR presented him after a seven-year spell with France’s national team, a period in which France won the 2022, 2025 and 2026 Six Nations titles and the 2022 Grand Slam, according to the Argentine union’s statement.

The staff reset in context

The announcement adds shape to an adjustment under head coach Felipe Contepomi. On September 24, the UAR had announced Andrés Bordoy’s departure from the staff by decision of the head coach and said the coaching setup would be communicated later.

With Ledesma and Edwards coming in, Los Pumas add internationally experienced figures to two sensitive areas: forwards work and defensive organisation. The timing matters because the move comes only weeks before the November European window, a relevant competitive checkpoint for the national team.