(REUTERS) - Argentina's Pablo Matera has been stripped of the Pumas' captaincy and suspended along with team mates Guido Petti and Santiago Socino for posting racist comments on social media, the Argentine Rugby Union (UAR) said on Tuesday (Dec 1).

"The Argentine Rugby Union strongly repudiates the discriminatory and xenophobic comments published by members of the Los Pumas squad on social networks," the UAR said in a statement.

"Although the messages were expressed between 2011 and 2013 ... the Argentine Rugby Union condemns any expression of hatred and we consider it unacceptable that those who express them represent our country."

The Argentina squad are in Australia preparing for their final Tri-Nations match against the Wallabies on Saturday (Dec 5).