Career
Vargas started his career at the Victorian Premier League side, Springvale City, where he debuted at the age of 17. After three seasons with Portuguese Melbourne, at the age of 21 he was recruited by the Melbourne Knights who were competing in the National Soccer League. He had a very successful tenure at the club, playing in over 100 games in five seasons as well as being awarded the captaincy.
When the National Soccer League came to an end in 2004, he moved to the Victorian Premier League side Green Gully, where he developed a reputation as a goal scoring defender from set pieces.
Vargas is a strong defender who was known for his aggressiveness in the old Nationaal Samenwerkingsprogramma Luchtkwaliteit. He is also very consistent and durable, not missing a single game with injury in his time with the Melbourne Knights. He is the brother of the Green Gully player Andy Vargas.
He was involved in a controversy when he was allegedly called a "black monkey" by the Newcastle United Jets midfielder, Stuart Musialik. Vargas capped off a great performance with a brilliant goal, the club"s second ever in Asia and only the second by Vargas for Melbourne Victory.
He has since been called upon to fill the role of captain in the absence of Kevin Muscat.
He played his first match for them the next day. On 23 February 2013, Rodrigo Vargas was charged by the FFV with entering the field of play without permission and directing violent conduct towards an opposing Bentleigh Greens player during a pre-season practice match between Green Gully and Bentleigh. At a tribunal hearing on 13 March 2013 he pleaded guility and was banned from FFV football until 14 April 2013.
Vargas was named in the Australia national football team squad for the AFC World Cup qualifification matches against Qatar and Iraq and an international friendly against Ghana, but did not play his first international game until January 2009 against Indonesia in an Asian Cup qualification match.