Argentinian visitor has eye on rugby

SIGHTSEERS: Whanganui Regional Museum board chairman Adam Kerse (right) welcomed Whanganui MP Chester Borrows (left) and Argentina's ambassador Fernando Escalona and his wife Marcela Ronderos to a tour of the museum.PICTURE/BEVAN CONLEY 250813WCBRCARG02

Fernando Escalona, the Argentinian Ambassador to New Zealand, could be forgiven for feeling a little glum yesterday.

His national team had almost pulled off a stunning win over the Springboks in the Rugby Championship, going down 22-17 in the last minute of the match in Mendoza.

It was a remarkable turnaround from Los Pumas' 73-13 hammering in South Africa a week ago.

Mr Escalona has been in Wanganui this weekend at the invitation of Whanganui MP Chester Borrows, and yesterday he and his wife, Marcela Ronderos, visited the Wanganui Regional Museum and the Sarjeant Art Gallery.

Today he will visit the GDM Group factory in Castlecliff and then Q-West Boat Builders.

Mr Escalona is not only a keen rugby fan. He played to provincial level in his homeland, and with the great Hugo Porta in the Buenos Aires team.

"I was a lock but really wanted to play flanker," he said.

He said the Pumas' effort at the weekend was a major advance on their opening game.

"We needed a little more luck but it was a much better performance ..."

Mr Escalona has passed through Wanganui before but this is his first time staying over and taking in the sights and looking at some industries.

Mr Borrows said he issued the invitation to come to Wanganui after meeting the ambassador on the rugby field in Wellington when the Parliamentarians played the Wellington Diplomats.

"It's an opportunity to put some local businesses in front of His Excellency rather than him coming here for specific economic purposes," he said.

Mr Escalona took up his diplomatic posting in June 2011, fortuitously for such a rugby fanatic, a few months before the Rugby World Cup.

He said he had been to many parts of the country and this visit was a chance for him and his wife, Marcela Ronderos, to get a closer look at Wanganui.