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Argentine international second-rower Juan Cruz Guillemaín has become the latest player contracted to the UAR on a binding contract which makes him available at all times to play for the country’s Super Rugby franchise in addition to representative rugby both at the test level and lower.
Cruz Guillemaín is a player to have been on the fringes for a number of years. Still aged just 22 he left Argentina for France in 2012 where he played for the 2015 champions, Stade Français. He did so after having been Argentina’s captain at under 20 level in the memorable 2012 Junior World Championship in which Argentina reached the Semi Finals.
His contract is for two years and will cover the entirety of 2016 and 2017. It comes in a week in which the UAR also confirmed the signature of Santiago Cordero. Cruz Guillemáin joins Guido Petti Pagadízabal and Matías Alemanno to give the UAR three specialist second-rowers in the squad thus far. Expected to be confirmed shortly is a fourth, Tomás Lavanini who, like Cruz Guillemáin is to leave behind a career in France.
Upon agreeing to terms with the UAR Cruz Guillemaín told reporters ”I am very happy to be able to return to the country and to have been under consideration for what is to be an historic year for the AUR and Argentine rugby, when Super Rugby begins. Furthermore in being a Rugby World Cup year, being in the plans is also very positive”.
The second-rower comes not from Buenos Aires, Tucumán or Rosario but, rather, San Juan. Before playing for Argentina at the junior level and leaving for France he played for the Jockey Club de San Juan. As s junior he played in the 2011 and 2012 Junior World Championships and toured with Los Pumas in November 2012.
His test debut, however, would not come until two years later when he started against Scotland in Murrayfield. He did so following the loss of Alemanno to injury and partnered Lavanini. Also injured at the time was Mariano Galarza which saw Petti and Lucas Ponce also touring. Such names are those in contention for a place in the World Cup squad as is Manuel Carizza. Daniel Hourcade’s final list will have four of these seven.
