Argentina will touch down in Bermuda today with the strongest squad they have assembled for the World Rugby Classic as they go in pursuit of a treble of titles.

That is the view of Rodolfo Ventura, the team manager, who has travelled with the Classic Pumas every year since 1995 when they first entered the annual scrum fest.

Among their star-studded squad is Felipe Contepomi, who promises to be one of the star turns at the Classic, which gets under way at the National Sports Centre, North Field, on Sunday.

“Our team’s big star will be Contepomi,” Ventura said. “He has just finished playing in the [Unión de Rugby de Buenos Aires Championship] in Argentina and he is in very good physical condition. I think the Bermuda crowd will be very happy to see him play.”

In 2001, Contepomi, an inside centre, scored 25 points in Argentina’s 30-16 win over Wales at the Millennium Stadium. He also helped condemn France to their first defeat in the Stade Vélodrome in 2004, and in 2006 was part of the Pumas side that earned their inaugural victory over England at Twickenham.

The 37-year-old enjoyed success in Europe playing for Bristol in the second tier of English rugby from 2001 to 2003, scoring 769 points before moving to Leinster, where he won the Magners League in 2007-8 and the Heineken Cup in 2008-9. He also played for Toulon and Stade Français in the French Top 14.

Also looking to help Argentina go one better this time around, having lost to South Africa 14-7 in last year’s final, is Federico Todeschini, who famously scored 22 points in his country’s victory over England in 2006, and Mariano Sambucetti, a former lock at Bristol.

“Lucas Borges [a wing] is back for us this year — he couldn’t come last year — and we have Mariano Sambucetti, a lock forward who played for Bristol.

“He will be coming to the Classic for the first time. Along with Felipe [Contepomi], he is one of our rookies!”

Argentina won their Classic title in 1999, adding a second in 2011 after pulling off an upset to defeat the Classic Lions 25-19, with a team that included Todeschini, who has been nicknamed the “little wizard” by John Kane, the Classic president.

“We were runners-up last year, losing to South Africa, and we always expect to go far in the competition.” Ventura said.

“We won in 1999 and 2011 and we feel like this could be our third time. That would be very nice for us.

“Every year we choose the players with the goal of winning the title. Obviously each team is getting better and better and New Zealand are back for the first time in a few years, so I expect them to be strong.”

Among the leading lights at the tournament will be full back Percy Montgomery, South Africa’s most-capped player.

The 2007 World Cup winner joins former international team-mates, Stefan Terblanche and De Wet Barry, in a star-studded Classic Springboks squad.

Also sprinkling some stardust on the event is Lions’ outside centre Mike Tindall, a World Cup winner with England in 2003.

New Zealand, who won titles in 2009 and 2010, will be the only Antipodeans at the tournament, with Australia, the 2012 winners, missing out.

The opening game pits Italy against South Africa on Sunday at 2.45pm, with the Lions playing United States at 4pm.

Schedule, page 14